Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) is a ligand-mediated transcription factor with roles in glucose, lipid, and lipoprotein homeostasis, and PPARγ ligands are expected have therapeutic potential in these as well as other areas. We report here the design, synthesis, crystallographic analysis, and computational studies of α-benzylphenylpropanoic acid PPARγ agonists. Interestingly, these compounds show a reversal of the stereochemistry-transactivation activity relationship observed with other phenylpropanoic acid ligands.