Michael Jackson’s Anti-Gravity Shoes Invention Everyone Forgets Exists
From being the King of Pop to having numerous songs to his name, Michael Jackson is known for a multitude of things. His performances and concerts attracted thousands of people from across the globe and used to sell out within hours of opening the ticket sale. One of the best-selling music artists of all time, Jackson’s popularity knows no bounds. However, there is one thing we forget Jackson was a part of.
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Michael Jackson’s Patented Invention
Going one step ahead and taking on a more literal meaning, Michael Jackson had his shoes patented to perform his patent move. Known as the Anti-Gravity shoes, Jackson filed for a US patent for the shoes that have a slit at the bottom in 1993. Other collaborators on the patent include Michael Bush and Dennis Tomkins who also helped create an iconic look for the musical sensation.
Michael Jackson's shoes had a hidden heel that allowed him to lean. pic.twitter.com/bF0xD0GYdW
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) January 11, 2024
The patent entails a shoe design with a slit at the base which fixes itself onto nails on the floor. Once fixed, the wearer can then lead forward without falling, hence defying their centre of gravity. Jackson’s moonwalk and forward lean move became so popular that people tried their best to recreate it at home. The forward-lean move was first seen in the Smooth Criminal music video that was released in 1988.
Greatest entertainer of all time pic.twitter.com/pm69GfHSmr
— Pluto (@ItsPlutogang) January 11, 2024
Fans reminisce on the iconic singer’s legacy and share fun facts on X that they remember to date. Very few people knew of this patent in Jackson’s name and it came as a delightful surprise to know another valuable aspect of the entertainment rockstar’s life.
The anti-gravity shoe patent also contained an upper segment to the shoe that safeguarded the wearer’s ankle. With extensive diagrams and figures, the patent elaborates on every aspect of the invention that enabled Jackson to lean perfectly and leave his audience in awe.
Other Hollywood Inventors with Patents
Michael Jackson is not the only celebrity with a curious mind and an inventor spirit. Big names in the industry including George Lucas, the brain behind the mammoth Star Wars franchise, and James Cameron who is credited with titles like Titanic and Avatar, also have patents to their name. While Lucas patented a toy figure design, Cameron invented an “Apparatus for Propelling a User in an Underwater Environment” in 1991.
More artists from the industry including Jamie Lee Curtis and Steven Spielberg also patented their inventions which were an “Infant Garment” and “Method and Apparatus for Annotating a Line-Based Document” respectively. This goes on to prove that Hollywood is not just glamour and appeal, it includes people who take their work seriously and are in constant search of ways to make it better and bigger.
