It was recorded in Havana, Cuba, at Egrem Studios, late in the previous year, with production by the Cat Empire, Felix Riebl (percussion and vocals) and United Kingdom-based producer, Jerry Boys.

[2] The tracks were more Latin in flavour, with a higher proportion written by Harry James Angus (trumpet and vocals) than on their self-titled debut album.

[2][5] AllMusic's Jeff Tamarkin wrote, "Skipping merrily from alt-rock crunch to hip-hop beats, landing on reggae/ska, Latin jazz, and points in between, Two Shoes is clever and brainy, danceable and absorbing".

[6] John Metzger of the Music Box stated that, while the album "lyrically [...] falters as the Cat Empire attempt to straddle the line between lighthearted and serious concepts, [...] its youthful ruminations matter little as the Cat Empire’s exuberant energy and giddily resplendent music are enough to make Two Shoes a captivating endeavor that surely will defeat even the worst cases of the winter blues.

Britanny Jenke dubbed the album an "instant classic that felt representative of experiencing the group on the live stage" in her review, and stated that it proves "the Cat Empire hadn’t lucked out with their debut, they were just a music-making machine who had only begun to hit their stride".