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Shoes, an American power‑pop band formed in Zion, Illinois in 1974, was founded by brothers John Murphy and Jeff Murphy alongside Gary Klebe and drummer Skip Meyer; the group began as high‑school friends learning instruments independently before solidifying their lineup. Their first independent release, Black Vinyl Shoes, appeared in 1977 on the self‑established Black Vinyl Records, selling 1,000 copies locally and later being licensed by PVC Records for national distribution; the single "Tomorrow Night" followed in 1978 on Bomp! Records. In 1979 Shoes signed to Elektra Records, issuing Present Tense in September, which peaked at Number 50 on the Billboard 200 and spawned the minor hit "Too Late" at Number 75 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band’s videos for "Too Late", "Tomorrow Night", "Cruel You" and "In My Arms Again" were among the first shown on MTV when it launched on 1 August 1981. Subsequent Elektra releases included Tongue Twister (1981) and Boomerang (1982), after which the group returned to independent releases such as Double Exposure (2007) and Ignition (2012), the latter marking their first studio album of new material in 17 years. Shoes’ discography spans five decades, and their early 1980s presence on MTV and charting singles remain milestones in American power‑pop history.
