He actually started wearing the tape on his fingers before filming Moonwalker and any of the Bad Era videos, and explained in an interview why he wore them. The white tape catches the light so that when he preforms on stage, people who are higher up and farther back can see his hands. The same goes for his trademark white socks. Wearing white socks is an old damcer’s trick that he picked up from Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly. Again, it draws the audiemce’s eye to his feet so they can follow his dancing easier