Rising comic star Steve Martin apparently has wide appeal, but ["Cruel Shoes," a] collection of 50 of his short routines, finds us reacting with irritation rather than chuckles. Short to the point of terseness (and sometimes pointlessness) the pieces are snide commentaries on what Martin sees as the pretentiousness of certain segments of society. The titles of "The Diarrhea Gardens of El Camino Real" and "Turds" convey the bathroom level of much of his humor…. It's difficult to find the source of Martin's popularity in these trivial offerings…. Perhaps it takes the tube to transmit his macho wit.

A review of "Cruel Shoes," in Publishers Weekly, Vol. 215, No. 18, April 30, 1979, p. 105.