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Michael Jackson's Patented "Smooth Criminal" Leaning Shoes

dvice.com — Patent number 5255452, filed in 1992, shows how Michael Jackson and his dancers could lean at 45-degree angles during live performances of the song "Smooth Criminal".

Who dugg this? Made popular Jun 29, 2009

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  • AndrewDB, on 06/29/2009, -19/+304My God he was an incredible performer.

    I hope he rests in peace. :(
  • Zylog, on 06/29/2009, -17/+282HI BILLY MAYS HERE WITH THE AMAZING SMOOTH CRIMINAL!
  • vsujohn2, on 06/29/2009, -5/+192ANNIE ARE YOU OKAY?
  • Chairboy, on 06/29/2009, -7/+161Here's the video, set to the moment where he does 'the lean'. Pretty wicked stuff:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ix9GlHZdWY#t=230s
  • DRT23, on 06/29/2009, -3/+1483:50
  • ChuyMX, on 06/28/2009, -2/+125if you french fry when you should pizza, you're gonna have a bad time
  • Kotoyumu, on 06/29/2009, -6/+111Man must take some strength to hold that position then pull yourself back up like that.
  • jerryjamesstone, on 06/28/2009, -1/+83Yah, but when you moon walk in those...it never ends well.
  • Supurcell, on 06/29/2009, -3/+84Talk about patented leather shoes!
  • vinceislegend, on 06/29/2009, -4/+84ARE YOU OKAY?
  • neelshiv, on 06/29/2009, -5/+81Yeah, everybody and their mother knows about michael jacksons patented system that enabled him to perform a stunning visual effect live...

    It doesn't have to be new to be interesting.
  • AriaNoelle, on 06/29/2009, -1/+62Y'know, it really sucks the way it did when Elvis died. So many young fans just waited until they were old enough to get to go to his shows, but, by the time they were old enough, there were no more shows to go to. My mom waited for Elvis, but he died when she was a teen. Michael died when I was 28, but there haven't been any shows I could go to. He stopped touring when I was in my teens, and it's not like my parents were going to let me fly all over the country to go to a show.

    Even if, in the last 15 or so years of his life, people gave him a hard time, I'm glad people are finally focusing on his music.
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -2/+63Thats always been my favorite part of of Smooth Criminal, I never knew how they did it.
  • Black6x, on 06/29/2009, -1/+59Ankle supports were built in, too. I wouldn't have wanted to be the guy that tested the first version.
  • kdmkdmkdm, on 06/29/2009, -1/+58ARE YOU OKAY ANNIE
  • Linake, on 06/29/2009, -0/+54Done.
  • ThaDRD, on 06/29/2009, -7/+59You can see where one of his dancers gets hung up on the peg (far right).
  • Drahkir, on 06/29/2009, -1/+53A legendary entertainer who's reputation was so tarnished only his own death could put him back on top. Truly a modern tragedy.
  • Pahtcub, on 06/29/2009, -0/+51Come on you KNOW you tried to do this when you were like 9 and saw it for the first time.
  • forumz, on 06/29/2009, -1/+40True Showman. RIP :( !
  • frankdozier, on 08/10/2009, -1/+38Interesting concept...I'd always wondered how they did that. Smooth Criminal is one of my favorite videos.
  • Supurcell, on 06/29/2009, -0/+36Because it locks into the floor.
  • fredrockbluff, on 06/29/2009, -1/+37ARE YOU OK ANNIE?
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -2/+38This article would be 10,000 times better if the person in the patent drawing was Michael Jackson.
  • purple, on 06/29/2009, -3/+38My favourite part was 3:56 where the dancer on the right gets his foot caught on the peg.
  • Linake, on 06/29/2009, -1/+36YOU'VE BEEN HIT BY, YOU'VE BEEN STRUCK BY
  • Supurcell, on 06/29/2009, -3/+35Because purple is a regal color. Fitting for the King of Pop.

    And it also fits with the rest of the purple color scheme of the page.
  • Linake, on 06/29/2009, -1/+29DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUH DUNDUN DUH DUH DUNDUN DUH DUH DUNDUN DUN.
  • praisethelard, on 06/29/2009, -0/+28I doubt he was lip-syncing. Notice at the end when he, for whatever reason, moves the mic closer to his mouth and overdrives the signal? Pretty impressive to sing and dance to that routine.
  • XxEric03xX, on 06/29/2009, -1/+27A SMOOTH CRIMINAL!
  • drmangrum, on 06/29/2009, -0/+25The truly impressive thing is that he could dance AND sing for a full hour or more. Each of those activities by themselves are exhausting. I can't imagine how tired he would be at the end of a show.
  • frankdozier, on 08/10/2009, -5/+30troll
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -4/+29Was he proven guilty?
  • KillCure, on 06/29/2009, -0/+24Ow!
  • Aaryn015, on 06/29/2009, -3/+25Not everyone spends their life on Wikipedia. Outside is fun sometimes.
  • Chalks777, on 06/29/2009, -0/+22magic.
  • AriaNoelle, on 06/29/2009, -4/+24Never try ballet then. :)
  • supermanred, on 06/29/2009, -6/+25What ***** up world do you live in that this isn't an interesting piece of news? Seriously, WTF get a life.
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -0/+19Wow, I was just reading about that.
  • almayng, on 06/29/2009, -1/+20He made Thriller..... Thriller.
  • mugicha, on 06/29/2009, -0/+19He wrote Billie Jean and Beat It himself and he did a lot of the choreography in his videos. Why couldn't he have invented these shoes?
  • Nishnabotna, on 06/29/2009, -0/+18Like being able to give live performances that others couldn't imitate?
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -5/+23Why a purple youtube embed?
  • 08STI, on 06/29/2009, -0/+18Just as good live.
  • AndreasTh, on 06/29/2009, -0/+17If your feet were stuck to the ground you would be able to lean more without falling over.
    And that's what jacksons shoes did:

    "He did it with special shoes that quickly slid into pegs that rise out of the floor at just the right moment. Also helping the effect were rigid anklets that worked like ski boots, supporting Jackson and his entourage of dancers as they leaned forward at that magic angle."

    (from the article)
  • Pasaris, on 06/29/2009, -0/+17krekc, I wouldn't allow you near my kids, that's for sure. Angry people do angry things.


  • SpitRage, on 06/29/2009, -0/+17A SMOOTH CRIMINAL
  • omnibahumut, on 06/29/2009, -1/+18Alien Ant Farm
  • algaeturd, on 06/29/2009, -0/+17Yeah, that was clearly pointed out in the submitted article. You're pointing out something that everyone who clicked the link clearly saw the first time.
  • inactive, on 06/29/2009, -1/+16I would have failed engineering school if I had drawn schematics so poorly.
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