In the late 1980s, Michael Jackson unveiled the music video for his song “Smooth Criminal,” leaving fans astounded not just by the song but also by the singer’s dance moves. During a mesmerizing moment, he defied gravity by leaning forward a staggering 45 degrees, seemingly without any body contortion or support. Many speculated that Jackson was being held in place by concealed cables, but he had more surprises in store for his audience.
To further captivate and astonish his fans, Michael decided to perform this feat live during one of his concerts, dispelling any notions of hidden cables. So, how did he achieve this seemingly impossible maneuver?
The mystery behind this gravity-defying tilt was eventually unveiled. It turned out that Jackson had devised a special invention in collaboration with two creative minds, allowing him to execute this remarkable stunt. He relied on a pair of custom-made shoes to achieve the effect.
At first glance, these stunt shoes appeared quite ordinary, with the main distinction being their somewhat thicker heels. However, these seemingly regular shoes harbored a concealed secret. The heels featured triangular recesses on the sole side, along with special hooks that could be deployed from the stage at the precise moment. These hooks effectively “anchored” the singer, enabling him to lean forward and showcase his antigravity prowess to the audience.
Remarkably, in 1993, Michael and his inventive collaborators secured a patent for these unique shoes.
Jackson continued to surprise and captivate his fans with this stunt until 1996 when he embarked on a tour that included a stop in Russia’s capital. While he intended to perform the gravity-defying act once more, something went awry. The peg mechanism failed to secure properly, resulting in a mishap where Jackson fell. Thankfully, he escaped serious injury.
After the concert, the broken shoes and their unique locking mechanism found a new home at the Hard Rock Cafe in Moscow, where they remained until Jackson’s passing. Subsequently, they were put up for auction and fetched a staggering sum of 600 thousand dollars.
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