I’m going to try and track down the earliest uses of the term shoegazing. Most sources seem to say it’s comes from a review of a Moose gig in 1990 in Sounds, although I’m not convinced the term actually appeared in the review

I’ve found this in a review of a gig with Lush, Blur and Moose in March 1991, which may be the original, although the term ‘Shoegaze’ isn’t used.

First ‘Special Guests’ Moose don’t exactly get into the party spirit though. In fact they ignore the audience throughout their short set and don’t even introduce themselves. Heads down droning is the order of the day in the Ride, Slowdive etc etc bloody etc mould and while they’re fairly competent, who cares? Party poopers

At the time I remember the name ‘The Scene That Celebrates Itself’ being used more, especially in Melody Maker.

The first use of the term I can find in print at the moment is by Steve Lamaq in his review of the legendary Slough Festival in 1991, which I think was from NME:

NME August 1991: Slough That’s What I call Music:

SLOWDIVE meanwhile are a big surprise. Importantly, because, after all the disparaging comments about Shoegazers, they are acquiring some identity.

Select January 1992: Les Miserables

Likely publish in late 1991, the term Shoegaze isn’t used, but heavily implied:

“Doom-laden squalls of white noise. Well-oiled self-celebration. Navel-scrutinising (and usually indecipherable) lyrics. Lank fringe horror… Yes, it’s the post-rave comedown!

What’s happened to The Scene That Gazes At Its Shoes? And who’ll survive in 1992?”

Melody Maker 12 Sept 1992: What Every Happened to Shoegazing

“With the release of their debut album, the countryish ‘XYZ’, MOOSE appear to have hammered the final nail in the coffin of the infamous Scene That Celebrates Itself. Here, a saddened PAUL LESTER ponders the demise of The Scene and asks Damon Albarn from BLUR, Stephen Lawrie from TELESCOPES, Neil Halstead from SLOWDIVE and the chaps from MOOSE if there’s always been a dance/
metal/country/hip hop* (*perm any one you choose) element to their shoegazing music.”