Yep, a patent filed by [span class="author"]Michael Jackson. This was used [/span]in his Smooth Criminal music video.
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[div style="font-weight: bold;" id="titlebar"][span class="title"]Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion[/span] [span class="author"]Michael J. Jackson et al[/span][/div][a href="vny!://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5255452"]vny!://www.google.com/patents?vid=USPAT5255452[/a]
Abstract
A system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes which will engage with a hitch member movably projectable through a stage surface. The shoes have a specially designed heel slot which can be detachably engaged with the hitch member by simply sliding the shoe wearer's foot forward, thereby engaging with the hitch member.
[div class="patent_bibdata"]Patent number: 5255452
Filing date: Jun 29, 1992
Issue date: Oct 26, 1993
Inventors: Michael J. Jackson, Michael L. Bush, Dennis Tompkins
Assignee: Triumph International, Inc.
Primary Examiner: M. Denise Patterson
[/p]Current U.S. Classification
36113; [a href="vny!://www.google.com/url?id=MAUgAAAAEBAJ&vid=USPAT5255452&q=vny!://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/uspc036/defs036.htm&usg=__zp8SBP-XnsG_hSEayWoYo9wDcQs=#C036S001000"]36/1[/a]; 36136; [a href="vny!://www.google.com/url?id=MAUgAAAAEBAJ&vid=USPAT5255452&q=vny!://www.uspto.gov/web/patents/classification/uspc036/defs036.htm&usg=__zp8SBP-XnsG_hSEayWoYo9wDcQs=#C036S080000"]36/80[/a]; 36132[/p]International Classification
A43B 500; A43B 300[/p]What is claimed is:[/p][/div]1. A system for engaging shoes with a hitch mans to permit a person standing on a stage surface to lean forwardly beyond his or her center of gravity, comprising:[/p][dl][dd style="margin-left: 1em;"]at least one shoe having a heel with a first engagement means, said first engagement means comprising a recess formed in a heel of said shoe covered with a heel slot plane located at a bottom region of said heel, said heel slot plate having a slot formed therein with a relatively wide opening at a leading edge of said heel and a narrower terminal end rearward of said leading edge, said recess being larger in size above said terminal end of said slot than is said terminal end of said slot; and[/dd][dd style="margin-left: 1em;"]a second engagement means, detachably engageable with said first engagement means, comprising a hitch member having an enlarged head portion connected by a narrower shank portion to a means for raising and lowering said head of said hitch member above and substantially level with or below said stage surface, said head portion being larger in size than said terminal end of said slot and said shank portion being narrower than said terminal end of said slot, wherein said hitch member can be moved through apertures in said stage surface between a projecting position raised above said stage surface and a retracted position at or below the stage surface, and when said head portion of said hitch member is raised above said stage surface, said first engagement means can be detachably engaged with said projecting hitch member, thereby allowing a person wearing the shoes to lean forwardly with his or her normal center of gravity beyond a front region of said shoes, and maintain said forward lean.[/dd][/dl]2. The system of claim 1, wherein said slot in said heel slot plate is V-shaped, with the mouth of the V at the leading edge of said heel.[/p]3. The system of 1, wherein said shoe has strapping means to secure the shoe to the wearer's feet.[/p]4. The system of claim 1, wherein said shoe has lace means to secure the shoe to the wearer's feet.[/p]5. The system of claim 1, wherein said shoe has extension means overlying the wearer's ankle, and is provided with covering means to conceal the said extension means of said shoe.[/p]6. The system of claim 5, wherein said covering means comprises a sock-like covering.[/p]7. A system for engaging shoes with a hitch means to permit a person standing on a stage surface to lean forwardly beyond his or her center of gravity in a stable manner, comprising:[/p][dl][dd style="margin-left: 1em;"]at least one shoe having a heel with a first engagement means, said first engagement means comprising a recess formed in a heel of said shoe, said recess having a relatively wide opening at a leading edge of said heel and a narrower terminal end rearward of said leading edge; and[/dd][dd style="margin-left: 1em;"]a second engagement means, detachably engagable with said first engagement means, comprising a hitch member having an enlarged head portion, connected to a means for raising and lowering said hitch member above and substantially level with or below said stage surface, wherein said hitch member can be moved through apertures in said stage surface between a projecting position raised above said stage surface and a retracted position at or below the stage surface, and when said hitch member is raised above said stage surface, said first engagement means is detachably engagable with said projecting hitch member, thereby allowing a person wearing the shoes to lean forwardly with his or her normal center of gravity beyond a front region or said shoes, and maintain said forward lean.[/dd][/dl]8. The system of claim 7, wherein said recess is covered with a heel slot plate located at a bottom region of said heel, said heel slot plate having a slot formed therein.[/p]9. The system of claim 8, wherein said slot in said heel slot plate is V-shaped, with the mouth of the V at the leading edge of said heel.[/p]10. The system of claim 7, wherein said shoe has strapping means to secure the shoe to the wearer's feet.[/p]11. The system of claim 7, wherein said shoe has lace means to secure the shoe to the wearer's feet.[/p]12. The system of claim 7, wherein said shoe has extension means overlying the wearer's ankle, and is provided with covering means to conceal the said extension means of said shoe.[/p]13. The system of claim 12, wherein said covering means comprises a sock-like covering.[/p]
