My first thought when I saw this thread - do these shoes get tried on before buying?
I have rarely had heel issues over my many decades of road riding but but toe and forefoot issues have been real. I always do a simple test of any shoe. Put it on with thin socks (often dress but of cycling sock thickness), then stand at the counter on tiptoe and see if my feet slide forward to toenail contact. Are they comfortable as I stand there? A lot of the better brands flunk that test for me. (Every few years, I try the good ones again to see if things have changed.) Lakes pass that test nicely. So I ride them and pass on "better" brands. (Lakes also last forever.)
I have tried on shoes where I knew right away that the heel wasn't going to work for me. Didn't buy them. Easy. I have also modified shoes to work better. Straps have been an issue so on my three most worn pairs I removed the straps and installed laces. (I find it very amusing that shoes with laces cost hundreds, at least last time I looked, and I do my lace modifications at $10/pair and a $10 tool from Tandy's Leather. Use the brass grommets, not the cheap aluminum ones.)