3 things Michael Jackson invented, from the iconic moonwalk dance to his Smooth Criminal music video’s incredible Anti-Gravity Shoe
- The King of Pop would have been 63 on August 29 – but did you know he once patented a stunt shoe allowing him to stand at a 45-degree angle?
- The 15-minute Thriller MV redefined the promotional tool as a stand-alone art form and helped propel the nascent MTV channel to the forefront of 1980s pop culture
Were he alive today, Michael Jackson would likely be engaged in the final stages of planning an epic birthday bash. This year he would have turned 63.
In honour of the late star’s upcoming birthday, on August 29, we’re taking a celebratory stroll down the King of Pop memory lane, focusing specifically on a lesser-known aspect of the star’s legacy.
Jackson’s performance talent and musical genius is recognised by the whole world. But besides the decades of legendary music and unforgettable entertainment, many are not aware that the pop superstar was also an incredible inventor, even holding a patent for one of his groundbreaking inventions.
So what creations can be credited as being the brainchild of the King of Pop? We take a closer look at three of his most iconic inventions.
A gravity-defying patent
In 1988, the world was gifted the now-classic music video to Jackson’s mega hit Smooth Criminal. In the video, Jackson is seen performing a number of iconic moves, but one in particular left audiences astonished, wondering how on earth he did it.
With his crew of backup dancers, Jackson executes a gravity-defying move, leaning some 45 degrees forward without falling over, and then reverting back to his original upright position.
While some may have assumed a clever camera or post-editing trick was responsible, in fact the stunt was thanks to an exclusive shoe that had been designed by the King of Pop himself, along with two of his associates, Michael Bush and Dennis Tumpkin, according to reports.