I have a wide foot, triple EEE, a designation that few people even recognize anymore and I also have an extremely high arch. I used to be able to buy shoes in any little one horse town and get a good fit but now I can only buy sneakers or work shoes locally and I have a hard time with that. If I want to buy a pair of dress shoes I have to order online and hope that I can get some that fit. I recently spent most of a day combing local stores and finally gave up. Even when I find a pair they usually are only good for a short while and then they come apart before they show any signs of wear. I recently threw away a pair of Wolverine shoes with “oil resistant” soles because the soles crumbled before the uppers showed any wear to speak of. In the old days a pair of dress shoes would last me for years and I wore them every day then because I had a suit and tie job. Sales people are no help, I can go in a store that sells nothing BUT shoes and the help knows far less about shoes than I do.
I agree with everything you wrote, but I don’t blame the situation on the Obama economy. It reflects a trend going back to the pre-Internet era. My mid-size town (130,000) has only one old-style shoe store where someone who knows what they are doing will actually match your feet to a shoe. But even that store would likely not have a EEE in stock for the length you need and the style you want.