How to Do the Moonwalk

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Slide and glide just like Michael Jackson

Co-authored by Emilia Richeson-Valiente and Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: February 17, 2024 Fact Checked

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The moonwalk has been around for quite a while, but it was Michael Jackson who achieved liftoff when he performed the move on live television in 1983.^{[1]
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Research source} It’s the dance equivalent of a magic trick: your feet are moving forward, but your body is going in reverse. The resulting illusion can wow even the most seasoned astronaut, and the best part is that it’s easy to learn! To help you out, we've put together a step-by-step guide on how to master the move, even as a beginner.

Things You Should Know

Put on socks and find a smooth surface, like a hardwood floor, to make learning the dance easier.
Start with your left foot flat on the floor, and the heel of your right foot raised behind your left.
Keeping your weight on your right foot, slide your flat left foot behind you.
Shift your weight, raising your left foot and lowering your right foot. Then repeat the steps to moonwalk.

1

Slip into a pair of socks.

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Socks will make it easier to glide across the floor. Though a pro can moonwalk even in hiking boots, it’s better to learn with as little traction as possible. Wearing socks will make it much easier for you to practice your moves and glide across the floor.^{[2]
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- Once you’ve mastered the “sock walk,” put on some sneakers for added challenge.

2

Practice on a smooth surface.

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You'll have an easier time learning the move on solid, smooth floors. Smoothness is key, and while you can try it anywhere, it helps to be on a flat, non-stick surface, such as a hardwood or smooth-tiled floor. You don’t need a dance studio; your kitchen or dining room will do. Stay away from rough, uneven, or carpeted areas.^{[3]
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- If you don't have any smooth surfaces in your home, then you're better off using flat-bottomed shoes on a rough surface than socks.

3

Get into position.

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Stand with your left foot flat, and raise the heel of your right foot. Position your right foot behind your flat foot, so that your heel and toe are about level, and you have about 3–6 in (7.6–15.2 cm) of space between your feet. This is your starting position. Keep your weight on the balls of your right foot, so that your flat foot is free to move.
- Use your arms to keep your balance, but don’t worry too much about their positioning just yet. Focus on your footwork for now.
- Place your raised foot slightly further back if you’re having trouble keeping your balance.

4

Move your flat foot backward.

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Slide your left foot back across the floor. Keeping your weight on your raised foot, glide your flat foot backward along the floor, until your toe is behind your heel. During this motion, keep the heel of your right foot in the air, with your toes in place on the floor.^{[4]
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- Perform a few exercises to improve your balance if you’re finding it difficult to coordinate your feet.

5

Reverse your stance.

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Shift your weight between your feet as you swap their stances. In one motion, raise the heel of your right foot and lower the heel of your left foot, shifting your weight as you do. Now you are in a similar stance as you started with, only your feet have swapped positions.^{[5]
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- To pull off the move, raise only 1 of your feet at any given time. Always 1; never both, and never neither.
- As you shift your weight to your right foot, lean slightly to your right to keep your balance.

6

Put it all together.

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Repeat the previous 2 steps, switching the roles of your feet. Slide your flat foot, shift your weight. Slide your flat foot, shift your weight. Do this over and over in a mirror until the movement becomes easy and natural.^{[6]
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- Focus on getting a feel for the pattern and rhythm first, then focus on smoothing out your movement to get a good, low-gravity flow.

7

Add some pizazz.

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Move your head and arms to the rhythm. Once you’ve finessed the footwork, incorporate other parts of your body.^{[7]
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Research source} As you slide your leg back, move your head forward as if it's being left behind in the movement. Then pull it back to the body as you switch to the other foot.
- Swing your arms with every step, or hunch your shoulders and grab your hat (if you're wearing one) like Michael Jackson did.
- Alternatively, keep your hands in your pockets for cool, casual moonwalk.

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How long will it take for me to master moonwalk?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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If you put your mind to it, it might only take a few hours. But don't give up if it takes longer! You'll master it soon enough with some patience and dedication.

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How much time will it take until I can do it with sneakers?

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This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

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That depends on how quickly you catch on! It might only take a couple hours to master in socks. Move on to sneakers when you feel like you have it down in socks on a slick floor.

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How long will it take me to learn the moonwalk?

Community Answer

It shouldn't take that long if you practice a lot. Just make sure you get every step, but know that you won't be as good as MJ on your first try.

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A historical factoid: the original name for this was not the moonwalk, but the "backslide." During the Michael Jackson era, the media mistakenly reported the name of this move as the Moonwalk and it stuck.^{[8]
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The tips of your feet should never come up off the floor.

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Practice with rhythmic music after learning.

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