This was one of Michael Jackson's most famous moves, a technique that allowed him to lean forward at a 45° angle.
A move, therefore, physically impossible to perform, due to the effect of gravity and balance.
The King of Pop performed it for the first time in the video clip of "Smooth Criminal", thanks to the use of ropes and supports.
For his live concerts, however, he had to resort to a different solution to make everything seem as "natural" as possible.
In 1992, with the help of his costume designers, Michael Jackson filed a patent entitled "Method and means for creating the illusion of anti-gravity".
His shoes, in fact, were specifically created to perform this move. Basically, the heel of the shoes had a "V" shaped recess, while pegs positioned under the stage came out at the right moment allowing the shoes to hook.
In this way, the wearer could leap forward, shift their center of gravity considerably, and defy gravity.
The "trick" still required a certain amount of physical strength to bring the torso back to an upright position, and it worked in all of his performances, except for one occasion.
During the Tokyo stop in 1996, Michael did not make his shoes adhere well to the stage supports, thus losing his balance.
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