The music video for "Pure Shores" was directed by Vaughan Arnell; it shows All Saints moving in blurry night vision and infrared shots on the coast of Norfolk.

[9] Lewis wrote "Pure Shores" based on Orbit's backing track, and a 40-second clip from the scene where co-stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Virginie Ledoyen swim underwater.

[17] The sheet music for the song shows a time signature of 44 and a key of D major, with a tempo of 102 beats per minute and a chord progression of D–Em–C–G, with a sequence of A–A9sus4–A9 in the bridge.

In his review for The Times, Ed Potten characterised the song as the "musical equivalent of a pina colada: faintly exotic, syrupy sweet and ultimately quite intoxicating.

"[26] The Daily Telegraph gave the song five out of five stars, writing, "You can almost feel your toes dipping into the tropical sea and hot sand running through your fingers.

[30] Q magazine's Dan Gennoe named it the "crowning glory" of The Beach soundtrack which "confirmed All Saints' position as pop's coolest girl band.

"[31] In The Sydney Morning Herald, Stephanie Peatling believed the "lush" track "puts the streetwise cousins of the Spice Girls back on the block.

[33] Writing for Mixmag, Dorian Lynskey felt the song provided "a twist" to All Saints, calling it "a heady, sensual melancholy better suited to headphones than the Met Bar.

"[34] In a less enthusiastic review, Dotmusic's James Poletti gave "Pure Shores" a rating of three out five, commenting, "Despite Orbit's slightly lightweight electronics, the song isn't half bad".

[35] Playlouder listed it as the best song of 2000, writing that the "bewitching" track found the group "ditching the famous-for-being-famous tag, and finally becoming the statuesque pop goddesses they always claimed to be.

[49] In Europe, "Pure Shores" became the group's first chart-topper in Belgium (Wallonia), Ireland, Italy and Romania,[50][51][52][53] and reached number three on the Eurochart Hot 100.

[54] In France, it peaked at number six, becoming the band's second top-10 single, and was certified gold by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) in 2000 for sales of 250,000 copies.

[66] The music video for "Pure Shores" was directed by Vaughan Arnell, and filmed on the coast of the Holkham National Nature Reserve and Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk over three days in early January 2000.

[70] A police investigation was launched after a freelance photographer, Rob Howarth, claimed he was assaulted at the filming location by a security guard hired by All Saints.

[75][76][77] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph wrote that it was unclear whether All Saints were promoting The Beach or vice versa, citing it as an example of a symbiotic relationship between the music and film industries.

[78] CBC Television placed "Pure Shores" second in its ranking of All Saints music videos, appreciating how Arnell reflected scenes from the film with the group.

[79] The Guardian included the video in its list of best subversive beach scenes, writing that the setting "feels taunting, a constant reminder of what happens when plans are ruined.

"[74] BBC America's Kevin Wicks, on the other hand, dismissed it as "the most unflattering girl group video ever", criticising the use of night vision which made All Saints look like "hopelessly dazed raccoons".

[80] To promote "Pure Shores", All Saints performed the song on television shows such as Top of the Pops,[81] CD:UK,[82] Sen kväll med Luuk, Wetten, dass..?,[83] and Later with Jools Holland.

[85][86][87] The group then performed "Pure Shores" at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards, which were held on 16 November 2000 at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden.

[100] After the announcement of their fourth studio album Red Flag, the group performed it on the 2016 Elle Style Awards,[101] and as the encore on their show at London's KOKO.

[108] To promote their fifth studio album Testament, they performed again the song on Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park,[109] Children in Need Rocks 2018,[110] and Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two.