After my brother made a strong suggestion and the triathlon guy who works with me looked at me like I'm an idiot (hey, I'm a newbie so, yeah, I might be), I started looking for shoes and pedals. Pedals are easy and confusing because there are so many.

Shoes, though, are a problem. No one makes wide bike shoes. Or did I miss something in my searches? I tried on several pairs at my LBS that were supposed to be wide friendly but all required a razor knife slicing open the side of the shoe so my feet wouldn't scream.

Suggestions?

Look at Sidi megas.

Not sure if you're looking for road shoes or SPDs. I use SPDs but the following might apply to either style.

I generally wear either EE or EEEE shoes/sneakers and have found Sidi and Specialized shoes to have roomy toe boxes and have used Sidi then Specialized for over ten years. Of the two, I personally prefer the Specialized shoes for durability, comfort and proper foot alignment.

Sidi Mega and Specialized both work for me. Aftermarket insoles also help. Shoes do need to fit close for efficiency, but if they are too narrow, in short order you won't be able to pedal at all. Custom shoes are available, but they are very pricy.

My feet are 10 x eeeeee (6e)

I wear riding sandals with SPD's. They feel good.

I wear 11-½ EEE.
Sidi mega = wide but pricey.
Several other manufacturers offer wide shoes. Shimano, Specialized, etc.
I have Sidi Genius 5.0 mega and Specialized Pro Road (wide width).

I used Bontrager RL SPD shoe. It comes in wide widths. The 43 wide fits my wide foot fairly well. I also have a pair of Louis Garneau SPD shoes that fit my feet fairly well.

Another for Sidi Megas.

Lake also makes shoes in wider widths, and are much less expensive.

I'd also suggest that you consider getting arch inserts for your shoes. They make the shoes much more comfortable and can prevent your foot from sliding to the toebox, exacerbating any issues you might have with the narrowness of the shoes. That goes a long way to prevent hotfoot and the like.

Bike shops do not carry much shoe inventory, I went to at least 5 shops with no luck.

I had to buy online to get my Sidi 6.6 mega in size 48

Shimano makes wide shoes in several models, if you don't want to spend Sidi level cash. I have a 13 EEE foot, and I wear Shimano R-087W shoes in size 48. Still going strong after quite a few seasons. Well over 30,000 miles.

The cost under $100 when I got them.

On the road side, the Bontrager Velocis has a BOA adjustment and comes in a wide version. Three weeks in, it's been very comfortable.

Watch the on-line places for their close out sales, I managed to snag a pair of Sidi Genius (only way I can ever have that applied to me, in any way,) 5, for $149.99, a few months back. Originally at 299.99, I couldn't manage to pull that freight, but Competitive Cyclist had them closing out for the newer model that had come out. I always wanted a par of Sidi, especially with the mega width sizing available. Now I can swap them out with the Specialized Road Comps that I like having handy, too.

The Sidi are a level above the other shoes I have used, going back to a pair of Detto Pietro, in 1979. When it comes time for another new pair of shoes, the Sidi Wire are going to be the goal, it will take a little saving up, but I now have plenty of time to do so.

Bill

lol ... ditto for me Bill.

If you look hard, you can find Sidi's on sale. And I'm a fan too. I especially like the replaceable heel pad.

Yep.