The album received a metacritic score of 54, indicating mixed or average reviews. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic thought the title Old Boots, New Dirt reflected the album's content, saying that "Aldean's boots are getting a bit worn; he's no longer an upstart," nevertheless there were some freshness in the album, with modern electronics accentuating the singer's arena country songs. He judged the album's "casual, almost steely, assurance" made it one of Aldean's best. Chuck Dauphin of Billboard also thought the album was a mixture of the party songs Aldean is known for, but he "also shows a little bit more of an emotional and sensual side than listeners might be accustomed to". Jon Caramanica of The New York Times believed that Aldean had fully emerged as a "purveyor of love songs," and excelled at songs like "Show You Off" and "Tryin’ to Love Me".
