Michael Jackson's patented "Smooth Criminal" leaning shoes

therevengor

#1 – 4:29 PM June 25, 2009

@3:50, if you're impatient.

This is excellent - Thanks, Joel.

Steff

#2 – 4:42 PM June 25, 2009

Thanks for the video :) RIP

Spencer Cross

#3 – 5:50 PM June 25, 2009

For everyone else that doesn't want to sit through the whole thing just to see the shoes work, it's at about 3:55.

MooseDesign

#4 – 5:56 PM June 25, 2009

Agreed, very cool... And you even worked in the gadget "angle".

KitWorks

#5 – 7:50 PM June 25, 2009

The leaning starts about 3:50, for anyone who wants to skip ahead.

Hopkins

#6 – 9:39 PM June 25, 2009

Note that at 3:56, the dancer on the far right gets his right foot stuck on the mechanism...

simon

#7 – 10:31 PM June 25, 2009

i'm having a hard time interpreting the legal-speak. From the looks of the drawing, a wedge fits into the heal...but is a custom stage required (with spring loaded wedge-hooks) , or can this work anywhere?

Crissy

#8 – 10:49 PM June 25, 2009

Rip Michael

Pantograph

#9 – 12:51 AM June 26, 2009

Is it mandatory in patent applications to have illustrations done in a 1930s style?
Because that would be a cool patent office rule.

overunger

#10 – 2:28 AM June 26, 2009

I knew there had to be some kind of behind the scenes (or shoes) wizardry. That scene always looked too perfect to be trick photography.

Blake

#11 – 6:47 AM June 26, 2009

His creativity and contributions to the world will be missed. I loved the mystery of this move as a kid. Well worth sharing.

technogeek

#12 – 11:07 AM June 26, 2009

... And he stays in character until he's offstage rather than taking the bow. Nice. Pity he wasn't a better actor when he wasn't dancing...

Simon: An anchor peg has to be affixed to the stage for the shoe to lock into.

Pantograph: No, but there is a de facto requirement that the illustrations be as clear as possible, which tends to mean blueprint-style line drawings of this sort. The numbers calling out the elements referred to in the patent description *are* required, I believe, by custom if not by law.

... I really regret not having seen him live. I don't do rock/pop concerts, but darn it, there aren't that many good song-and-dance men and Jackson was right up there with some of the best. As someone said when interviewed for the "Everybody Dance Now" episode of Dance In America, "Michael Jackson _is_ dance."

As I've said before, I really do pity him, in a poor-little-rich-kid kind of way. Or perhaps the autistic genius comes closer, or the washed-up athlete... Hugely talented, hugely successful from an early age, but apparently never quite figured out how to deal with life off the stage and apparently trusted the wrong people when it came to finances.

Live fast, die young, leave a good-looking corpse? Could be attractive if you never quite figured out what you were living for.

redteam

#13 – 4:45 PM June 26, 2009

#12 (TECHNOGEEK)

For a surprisingly good and entertaining song and dance concert - go see Beck perform sometime. He's actually pretty amazing!

Anonymous Anonymous

#14 – 8:35 PM June 26, 2009

Just out of curiosity for all of those impatient people out there who had to fast forward...

Were you not amazed at the choreography at all?! There is a reason he was called the "King of Pop"... I don't think anyone else will ever be able to pull this sort of thing off like he did ever again.

In his own way and own genre, MJ charted new territory for humanity and we're all better for it. I hope he rests in peace.

JDO

#15 – 9:51 PM June 26, 2009

@ TG

A stage anchor is what you'd assume but how is it employed? There are no shadows of any pegs once they release from the stance. Is it someone behind stage with a quick trigger finger releasing and withdrawing the anchor?

Pantograph

#16 – 10:48 PM June 26, 2009

I would, but my thetans get antsy in his presence.

Wil

#17 – 10:57 PM June 26, 2009

I hope this patent was denied, or else everything in Home Depot could be patented for every imaginable use!

doplgangr

#18 – 11:07 PM June 26, 2009

I've seen Beck several times, Redteam, and his shows are really great. At least they were before he went all folky-scientology. The guy can dance!

bill

#19 – 1:40 AM June 27, 2009

so michael jackson was the howard hughes of pop?

it all makes sense now.

Dialga

#20 – 1:41 AM June 27, 2009

Why has the YouTube link stopped working on my itouch? It was fine when first posted. Kinda spoils it.

Great post Joel! Got any more fascinating facts?

Jesse M.

#21 – 1:41 AM June 27, 2009

You can apparently buy shoes that do this sort of thing here:

http://www.malloymodernmagic.com/the_lean.htm

Also, this trick was exploited for some funny Japanese prank videos here:

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/08/26/prankster-performs-t.html

antoine

#22 – 10:15 AM June 27, 2009

A good sing-and-dance guy? Of course I don't know for sure nor I've even listened to him live, but watching his videos it seems (hears) like the foh guys do some serious playback work.

Sure he was a good dancer.

Alex_M

#23 – 11:14 AM June 27, 2009

Am I the only one who thinks it's a bit weird that the

Wouldn't it have made more sense to put the slot in the other direction? ('course, it'd be more visible then, on the back of the heel..)

Brian

#24 – 1:14 PM June 27, 2009

Best not to fast forward to the lean. Those are some of his best dance moves in Smooth Criminal. He seems to get a little tired at the end after the lean, but heck who wouldn't. That's a day's worth of exercise in that one song.

malixe

#25 – 4:09 PM June 27, 2009

@#14: He was called the "King of Pop" because that's the name he decided he wanted, and once he came up with it, he wouldn't go on any of the awards shows or music specials unless they introduced him that way.

He was a self anointed "King". I guess it worked. How quickly we all forget.

smooth_criminal

#26 – 2:32 AM June 28, 2009

WOW still think it was magic though.

Paulo Gurgel

#27 – 4:25 AM June 28, 2009

In Portuguese from Brazil:
A ilusão antigravitacional de Michael Jackson
Uma interessante nota que foi postada por Joel Johnson no BoingBoing.
Michael Jackson e seus dançarinos, em suas performances na canção "Smooth Criminal", utilizavam-se de sapatos especiais.
Com esses sapatos, MJ e seus dançarinos conseguiam inclinar os corpos, com relação ao solo, em até cerca de 45 graus. Passando a incrível sensação de que eles, nas coreografias dessa canção, transgrediam os limites estabelecidos pelo centro de gravidade de seus corpos.
Read more in EntreMentes by Paulo Gurgel.
http://blogdopg.blogspot.com

eb

#28 – 5:43 AM June 28, 2009

Not to get off topic here but in the end, he says "You've been hit by..." and it sounds like to me "...you've been f**ked by, a smooth criminal." Am I hearing that wrong?

marcg

#29 – 7:40 AM June 28, 2009

MJ's death was so unexpected in a sense. You know rock and pop stars tend to have shorter lifespans due to the drugs but he always seemed to have distance from that even though he had other problems.

I'm dismayed, but not surprised, at the racial discussion surrounding Michael's legacy. He is being talked about as being a uniter and the like. Unity and peace is a good thing, but it's a little disheartening to see reality distorted as to fit it inside a colorblind and unpolitical conception of our country and world's racial problem.

Michael helped white people be okay with Black dance, music, Black people. It shouldn't be construed that Black people were as problematic, racially as whites. This isn't the truth and everyone knows it. I'm not saying all white people have committed huge wrongs or that every white person is a bad person. Far from it.

But we shouldn't be dishonest about the core nature of our racial problems. Racism is a white problem. It's white racism that has caused us so much pain. As we remember Michael and the pleasure and healing he brought us, let us not dishonor his legacy and the legacy of all the Black and a few whites who have struggled for racial progress over the years, by rewriting and revising the rich and often painful history so that whites can feel better about it.

Let's be honest.

We love you and thank you for all that you gave us and did for us Michael!!! RIP

Kylie

#30 – 10:05 AM June 28, 2009

@#25: Actually, Elizabeth Taylor was the one to first call him the King of Pop. She came up with the name, and it stuck.

Jim Belfiore

#31 – 1:18 PM June 28, 2009

At least one aerospace giant took a direct interest in Michael's innovation as applied to advanced jet fighter operations.

http://bit.ly/15qYXd

Anonymous Anonymous

#32 – 4:52 PM June 28, 2009

MARCG,

Why do you capitalize "Black", but not "white"? I'd hate to think I've been spelling one of them wrong all these years . . .

dculberson

#33 – 8:54 AM June 29, 2009

"Racism is a white problem."

Ummm, yeah. I'm going to have to go ahead and disagree with you there.

george

#34 – 12:47 PM June 29, 2009

it happens right at 3:53 .

Very interesting. Always wondered how he did that

BTW Michael's music is still topping the charts.

Shane

#35 – 3:17 PM June 29, 2009

EB (#28)
its 'youve been hit by, youve been struck by, a smooth criminal'
I never saw the accompanying movie to Smooth Criminal, and thought he was saying 'Eddie are you okay' rather than 'Annie' for years...

I imagine the floor pegs are only wide in 2 dimensions (flat in the other), and can slide through slits in the floor (sort of like a coin in a slot machine)...

cool post!

Shane

James mauri

#36 – 4:09 PM June 29, 2009

Been trying to figure this out for ages... So ingenius and simple. If one skips ahead to the lean, one is also likely to ask dumb questions.

Fredini

#37 – 4:35 PM June 29, 2009

Patent Schmatent!
This is an old Vaudeville/Circus bit. I have books from the 30's with this apparatus described in it. Its a gaff used by clowns for decades before this.
--Fredini

anonymoose

#38 – 10:17 PM June 29, 2009

i still don't understand how it works! how do you not fall out of your loafers and fall right on your face. it IS still magic to me!

Smooth Criminal

#39 – 11:10 PM June 29, 2009

Dig it as a T-shirt!

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27170614

Chami98

#40 – 6:28 PM June 30, 2009

Awesome, I've always enjoyed seeing MJ's dance moves and this still looks awesome even with knowing how it works.

And
MARCG #29
Wow.. To say that racism is a white thing only is entirely wrong and in fact, technically, is a very racists thing to say. So, you, by not fully understanding racism and all of its varying aspects are not looking to smart nor are you seeming to be un-biased or un-racist yourself. Good Job on that!

proudtobefreak

#41 – 12:36 AM July 1, 2009

oh thanks for this posting, it was awesome!

look at in the minute 3:56 the guy on the right side of the screen got his right shoe stucked on the floor lol

sunlyruo

#42 – 1:26 AM July 1, 2009

I love Johnson,I hope he is right.

Quis

#43 – 11:15 AM July 2, 2009

LOVED THAT BIT OF INFO and the man himself MJ!!! thanks for posting that!!!

Derrick

#44 – 12:12 PM July 2, 2009

have these already been patented n all that good stuff? if not please contact me by my email which if your a admin or site owner you can see the email.

Emma Thomson

#45 – 7:59 AM July 4, 2009

What sort of dancing did Michael Jackson do in smooth criminal? Was it Disco dancing, Pop dancing, Modern dancing, Salsa, No it deffinitly wasnt salsa!! So what did he doo? I really want dance lessons and maybe one day you may see me on stage Emma Thomson dancing like michael jackson, but he was ALOT BETTER!!

Lazaro - Brasil -

#46 – 9:12 PM July 6, 2009

Fatalidade ... Sim .... Mas o homem pode conquistar tudo na terra ... a eternidade é conquisttada atraves de JESUS ... o VERDADEIRO REI DOS reis.

Sunny dhesi

#47 – 11:41 AM July 7, 2009

He is the best of pop

bullero

#48 – 6:43 PM July 7, 2009

wow so very excellent!!!

lixz

#49 – 7:17 PM July 7, 2009

cool one

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#51 – 7:32 PM July 8, 2009

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Marlon O.

#52 – 7:36 PM July 8, 2009

MJ lives Forever

Haley

#53 – 10:36 PM July 10, 2009

i think that is one of his coolest and most creative ones that he had,i think that the leaning thing is the coolest thing i have ever seen even if it was done with wires or pegs because at least he was creative enough to come up with things like that to do, do u see anyone else doing things like that no because he was just that creative, and now everyone thinks that they can just inmatate him which they can't because no one every will be as gook as michael jackson was. He WAS the king of pop and the BEST entertainer the world had ever seen.

R.J. From Michael Jackson Beat

#54 – 6:58 PM July 16, 2009

His microphone stumbled at the end. That seems to be a recurring problem for him.

George

#55 – 10:38 PM July 20, 2009

Haven't read ALL the comments, but in case it hasn't been covered yet, here's how the trick works:
1. During a diversion, Mike & boys go over to a section of the stage and lock their heels into triangular, pre-raised wedges. Their ankles are further reinforced by special stiff ankle guards that stop the lean at a certain 45 degree angle.
2. The lean.
3. Upon coming back upright, the dancers carefully slide their shoes backwards from the wedges, and the released wedges drop back to stage/floor level.
There were several incidents like this one. In one concert, Mike almost hit the floor when his wedge didn't hold. Look online for that video.

replica watches

#56 – 11:32 AM July 24, 2009

Wow I never even thought about the shoes being what helped him "lean" like a cholo

jam

#57 – 1:50 PM July 26, 2009

Thanks for posting, we've had some interesting discussion with my children (the 1990 generation) about how this was done. To #55, George, thanks for explaining it in layman's terms, that helped me!

jaja

#58 – 5:22 PM August 2, 2009

michael jackson né pa mort parske je ss son DOCTOR jaja je di pa mon vrai prénon min il é vivan parske c moi le doctor kil a péyé pour fère kroire sa il va revenir dan 1 nan ne dite pa ke c moi stp

Nick

#59 – 8:59 AM August 4, 2009

Here is the video again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUYD13W-oWs

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Tegu

#60 – 12:18 AM August 6, 2009

could some one tell me if MJ's shoes has Mgnet inside?

Margaret

#61 – 12:40 AM August 22, 2009

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yuridebura

#62 – 10:41 PM August 22, 2009

I would never call him a genius but a great performer yes on different search engine placement. The device is very clever and whether or not he designed and patented it doesn't matter as much as having the ability to incorporate and execute an idea and concept so effectively.
I watched most of the video and am convinced he is lip syncing. I'm not a MJ hater but I also admittedly never LOVED the guy either. I am sorry he's dead but am not loosing any sleep over it. He hasn't had any decent albums in over a decade web hosting. I know that doesn't take away from his 3 decades of ground breaking hits but I think he was trying too hard to get back to his "King of Pop" days.

wil

#63 – 12:14 PM August 23, 2009

Not only creative musicly but was ingenius as an inventer

JOSH

#64 – 6:42 PM August 25, 2009

ive ben tryin to figure that out for years

prashant

#65 – 11:10 PM September 5, 2009

Michael was,is, will be the greatest entertainer, performer of all time, whether his shoes lean was a trick. He will remain in our hearts forall of our remaining life.