I have size 10 (EU 43) shoes, Ortlieb Backroller Plus panniers, and Tubus Logo rack, Volpe 55cm frame.
The panniers are attached far forward, and no heel strike.

In another thread, cyccommute criticized the pannier placement for being centred behind the rear wheel axis. I find this to be more of a theoretical disadvantage rather than a real world one - the Volpe’s handling is great with everything loaded on the rear except for a handlebar bag.

I think the good handling - and fit - may be due to the relatively short effective TT. On my 55 frame, it is 55cm: short for a modern bike.

I am 5’8” with relatively very long legs for a male (my arms are probably longer than the average for my height too). From the specs I’ve seen, women’s bikes would fit me well.