We’ve ail grown up trying to imitate Michael Jackson’s dance moves-be it the oh-so-smooth moon-walk or the EPIC forward-lean. Whether we nailed the moves or not is a whole other discussion. But what if we told you that as talented as MJ was, those dance moves-the forward-lean especially-were not purely talent.

That’s right-the legendary Michael Jackson kept the trick behind his sought-after dance move a secret from fans all through his 38-year-long career. The secret behind his iconic 45-degree lean, the one he first orchestrated for the video of Smooth Criminal, has finally been revealed. When the video first came out, it was thought that the pop legend used wires to master the slow forward-lean. MJ, however, wanted to recreate the same gravity-defying feat live on stage. According to The Mirror, Michael and his team created a one-off shoe with an extending slot at the bottom of the heel. The slots could then extend at any given time and connect to a peg in the stage, keeping the shoe secure as Michael leaned forward-supporting his own body as he did it

The ‘magic’ shoe These shoes were patented in 1992 under the names of Michael Jackson and Dennis Tompkins, MJ’s outfit designer. Though the special shoes almost always worked perfectly, a ‘slip’ was reported during one of MJ’s live concerts in Moscow in September 1996, when one of the heels came loose from its peg. Michael went flying, but luckily managed to avoid serious injury-and the design was reportedly later reworked to avoid it happening again, reports The Mirror. That shoe is now in the Moscow branch of the Hard Rock Cafe, after being auctioned off following Jackson’s death for USD 600,000.