Whenever the issue of feminism is brought up with regards to women wanting to take on halachos given to men, often they are told (or the point is raised) that there are ‘separate but equal” roles for each gender. that just because a women is required to learn torah or where a talis, that doesn’t mean she is any less or has any less schar overall possible for her then a man.
To me, assuming the above points are true, this would be evidence to support the “different potentials” theory, because the same way a woman and a man might have different halachos, but could still be equally great in God’s eyes, a talmid Chacham and a Shoemaker could be equally great as well.