 Clem Bastow of "The Sydney Morning Herald" said the song along with "Black Coffee" won All Saints "major critical points" over the Spice Girls and complemented their "impeccable back catalogue".Writing for the "Daily Record" newspaper, Julie MacCaskill wrote that "Pure Shores" along with "Never Ever", "Under the Bridge" and "Black Coffee" are a testament to the group's "pop power".In 2016, Digital Spys Lewis Corner placed the song at number two in his ranking of All Saints singles, naming it "William Orbit production at its very finest".