Where the hell did that rumour come from? I mean in all honesty how would we know? I don't get what you mean by him not thinking in terms of Michael as a dancer at all. I believe it was Michael who wanted those shoulder pads too and was delighted when Zaldy found a way to have them that was completely lightweight but make them look heavy. It was part of creating an illusion that Michael so loved. He also managed to do something that no other designer had managed to do - make Michael dance in shoes other than loafers. I remember he made shoes that on the inside felt just like loafers but on the outside weren't. I can't remember the exact details because it's been years since I watched the featurette but he was clearly thinking about Michael's needs as a dancer. I partly agree with you on the 10 pound jacket though, as badass as it looks.
Most of Zaldy's outfits for TII were pretty cool. I liked the fact that Michael was in something new, edgy, fresh and modern rather than rehashing stuff from previous shows tbh. Not that the older costumes were bad, it's just that he was pushing everything in the TII shows - why not the outfits too?
I have a feeling some of you might think similar if he was to actually live for a dress rehearsal and wear those clothes while performing, instead of just lying there motionless on a rack or mannequin.