Multistable shells are thin-walled structures that have more than one stable state of self-stress. We consider isotropic axisymmetrical shallow shells of arbitrary polynomial shapes using a Föppl–von Kármán analytical model. By employing a Rayleigh–Ritz approach, we identify stable shapes from local minima in the strain energy formulation, and we formally characterize the level of influence of the boundary conditions on the critical geometry for achieving bistable inversion—an effect not directly answered in the literature. Systematic insight is afforded by connecting the boundary to ground through sets of extensional and rotational linear springs. For typical cap-like shells, it is shown that bistability is generally enhanced when the extensional spring stiffness increases and when the rotational spring stiffness decreases, i.e. when boundary movements in-plane are resisted but when their rotations are not; however, for certain other shapes and large in-plane stiffness values, bistability can be enhanced by resisting but not entirely preventing edge rotations. Our predictions are furnished as detailed regime maps of the critical geometry, which are accurately correlated against finite-element analysis. Furthermore, the suitabilities of single degree-of-freedom models, for which solutions are achieved in closed form, are evaluated and compared to our more accurate predictions.
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