The detailed cross-sectional shape of stress induced well bore breakouts has been studied using specially processed ultrasonic borehole televiewer data. We show breakout shapes for a variety of rock types and introduce a simple elastic failure model which explains many features of the observations. Both the observations and calculations indicate that the breakouts define relatively broad and flat curvilinear surfaces which enlarge the borehole in the direction of minimum horizontal compression. This work supports the hypothesis that breakouts result from shear failure of the rock where the compressive stress concentration around the well bore is greatest and that breakouts can be used to determine the orientation of the horizontal principal stresses in situ.