Michael Jackson Patented His Very Own Anti-gravity Shoes

Back in the year 1988, Michael Jackson blew away his fans with astonishment when he released the music video for his 1987 single “Smooth Criminal”. Apart from his well-known dance moves, he did something new and crazy- in the video he leaned 45 degrees forward, thus defying gravity. In the video, dancers were able to stand up straight and lean towards the floor.

In the Smooth Criminal video, Michael did this by using string, but he wanted to something more fascinating and went on to create Anti-Gravity Shoes. He did so to incorporate this magic into his live performances. He created these special Anti-Gravity Shoes with the help of two co-inventors and received a U.S patent for the same in 1993.

In these shoes, there was a slot that was engaged with a bolt in the floor. Keeping the heels fixed, dancers were able to lean forward.

However, this wasn’t a 100% successful product. A few years later during a show in Moscow, an accident occurred with one of Michael’s heels and this was the end of the Anti-Gravity Shoes.

The United States Patent’s abstract reads:

“A system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes which will engage with a hitch member movably projectable through a stage surface. The shoes have a specially designed heel slot which can be detachably engaged with the hitch member by simply sliding the shoe wearer’s foot forward, thereby engaging with the hitch member.”

Also read: Combination of Science And Music in Amazing Music Video – Cymatics by Nigel Stanford

See below the pictured of the Anti-Gravity Shoes and the patent design picture: