'round-toed' originates from English, specifically from the adjective 'round' (Old English 'rund') where 'rund' meant 'round/circular', and the noun 'toe' (Old English 'tā') where 'tā' meant 'toe/digit'; the adjectival form 'toed' is formed by adding '-ed' to 'toe' and the two elements were compounded to form 'round-toed'.

'round-toed' developed as a compound of 'round' + 'toed' (the latter formed from 'toe' + adjectival '-ed') in post-Middle English usage and became a standard descriptive term for shoe styles by the 19th–20th century.

Initially it meant 'having a round toe' (literally describing the shape of the toe); over time this basic meaning has remained stable and is still used primarily to describe shoe and boot shapes.