Michael Jackson: Anti-gravity shoes

We all know Michael Jackson was one of the most successful singers and entertainers in music history, but how many of you know that he actually invented and patented something?

A video for a new Michael Jackson song during the singer's peak of popularity was a bonafide event. Each one had to be bigger and better than the last. For “Smooth Criminal,” the seventh single release from the singer's Bad album, Michael created a video that was truly groundbreaking.

In “Smooth Criminal,” Michael dances and “fights” with thugs, showcasing his trademark moves. Sure, there are cool moments throughout the video, but the coolest is when Michael tilts his hat and leans at an impossible 45-degree angle.

Jackson was held by wires to achieve this effect, but how would he do it live?

Michael solved the problem with the help of two designs and developed a “method and means for creating (an) anti-gravity illusion” patent for a shoe. The normal looking loafer has a strap around the ankle to secure it the dancer's foot with a heel that has a secret slot that locks into a small post on stage.

Michael used this “method and means” live in concert, wowing concertgoers and selling 7.5 million copies of the single.