I should clarify that I never shave prior to showering. It's always afterward. So the steam from the shower does the job of opening the pores, softening the stubble, etc.
The rest of the shave prep is more than taken care of with a good badger brush and shave cream. I like to specifically wash my face afterward to get rid of residual shave cream, remnants of shaved hair, and so on.
Then, it's on to the back! (j/k
)