'rounded-toed' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'rounded' and 'toed', where 'rounded' comes from 'round' + '-ed' meaning 'having a round shape' and 'toed' means 'having a toe or toes'.

'rounded' developed from Middle English 'rounde' (from Old French 'rond', ultimately from Latin 'rotundus'), while 'toe' comes from Old English 'tā' (Proto-Germanic *taihwōn), later becoming the Modern English 'toe'; the suffix '-ed' became productive for forming adjectives (e.g., 'rounded').

Initially the components meant 'round' (circular) and 'toe' (digit on the foot); over time the compound came to describe the shape of the front part of footwear or garments as 'having a rounded toe'.