Although "Old Brown Shoe" remains a relatively obscure song in the band's catalogue, several music critics view it as one of Harrison's best compositions from the Beatles era and especially admire his guitar solo on the track.

Gary Brooker performed the song at the Concert for George tribute in November 2002, held at London's Royal Albert Hall a year after Harrison's death.

I started the chord sequences on the piano (which I don't really play) and then began writing ideas for the words from various opposites: I want a love that's right / But right is only half of what's wrong.

[11][12][nb 1] According to theologian Dale Allison, "Old Brown Shoe" is a further reflection of Harrison's interest in "dualities and contradictions", but stated in terms that avoid the religiosity evident in much of his songwriting.

[16][17] Author and critic Ian MacDonald identifies the "hood-eyed spirit" of Dylan in the song's "dusty shuffle-beat" and ironic lyrics, while recognising the "surprising and graphic" chord progression as typical of Harrison's work.

[6] The tapes from that day show John Lennon struggling with the guitar part;[32] in Everett's description, his playing suggests he was "stymied or disinterested".

[40][nb 3] Author Simon Leng describes "Old Brown Shoe" as "the most complete in conception" of the three demos, with an arrangement that contains several of the main elements present in the Beatles' subsequent recording.

Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn comments on the band's tight ensemble playing, evident from the studio tapes, and how focused each musician sounds in his contribution.

[42][59] Everett states that it was McCartney's Fender Jazz Bass doubled with Harrison's Telecaster, both playing chromatically moving arpeggiations in a similar manner to the bridge guitars in "And Your Bird Can Sing".

[64][65] Also present during the vocal overdubs were the Aerovons,[66] an American band who had based their sound and image on the Beatles, and had come to London to record at EMI.

[67] Tom Hartman, the Aerovons' singer and guitarist, recalled that the Beatles attempted the line "Who knows, baby, you may comfort me" countless times, trying to perfect their performance.

[50] According to author Elliot Huntley, after Lennon had made derogatory remarks about Harrison's songwriting in January, he now sounded "audibly excited" by "Old Brown Shoe" in his "enthusiastic and energetic backing vocals" on the song.

[68][nb 6] The Beatles devoted the rest of the session to taping a basic track for "Something", although it was later discarded as the band chose to record a new version the following month.

[75] He first overdubbed a guitar solo that Everett describes as "stinging" and "highly Claptonesque", played on a Telecaster with the sound coloured through a Leslie speaker and given automatic double tracking (ADT) treatment and "sent wild to both channels".

[85][86][nb 8] In the UK, the song increased the public's recognition of Harrison as a songwriter, after "Badge", which he co-wrote with Eric Clapton, had been a hit single for Cream that spring and established him as a composer outside the Beatles.

[99] Tim Riley deems the song "at least as good a rocker as 'Savoy Truffle'" and, like "The Inner Light", an example of the Beatles continuing their tradition of offering high-quality and musically diverse B-sides.

[25][27] Writing for Rolling Stone in 2002, Greg Kot described it as "dark, droll, rollicking" and arguably Harrison's "most underrated Beatles composition".

[25] Simon Leng cites the track's appearance as a B-side to the Lennon–McCartney composition as indicative of Harrison's predicament during the last year of the Beatles' career, since: In any other band, this upbeat boogie that matched lyrical sophistication with another outstanding guitar break would have taken precedence over the rough, self-serving travelogue that was "The Ballad of John and Yoko".

[105]Writing for Rough Guides, Chris Ingham recognises "Old Brown Shoe" as "perhaps the densest, sharpest Harrison song to make it onto a Beatles record".

"[107] Joe Bosso of MusicRadar includes "Old Brown Shoe" among Harrison's "10 Greatest Beatles Songs", describing it as "An infectious, lively track that tumbles out of the gate (check out Ringo's raucous drumming) and gallops off."

They describe the solo as "stinging" in the style of Clapton and rate the track among Harrison's best songs, yet one that was "dishonorably relegated" to the B-side of "The Ballad of John and Yoko".

[112][113] He also played the song at his only full-length concert in the UK – a benefit for the Natural Law Party held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 6 April 1992.

[114][115] Gary Brooker performed "Old Brown Shoe" at the Concert for George,[116] backed by a large band that included Clapton and Preston.