A series of myoglobin active site analogues were synthesized and characterized to investigate the dioxygen binding effects of a flexible distal strap over the coordination site. These four synthetic models differ mostly by the shape and polarity of their cavities and also possibly by motion of the distal strap attached to two of the meso carbon atoms. Each of the four models has an intramolecular nitrogen base that axially binds the iron(II) cation inside the porphyrin, but they differ either by the nature of the distal strap or by its mobility. The overhanging distal group is either a generally apolar ethyl malonate group or a polar malonic acid group which is also a strong H-bond donor. It is shown that, in the ferrous complex 2b bearing such an overhung malonic acid group in close proximity to the iron atom, the equilibrium rate for dioxygen binding is significantly enhanced in comparison to that of its ester precursor. In the case of the analogous complex 1b bearing a more mobile distal strap, one of the carboxylic acid groups binds the iron(II) cation, leading to a six-coordinate ferrous complex. Unexpectedly, this complex proved to be high-spin (S = 2) as shown by solid-state magnetic measurements. Whereas this unprecedented complex still binds dioxygen, the formation of the intramolecular six-coordinate complex precluded the measurement of its dioxygen affinity through direct quantitative gas titration monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy. However, in this case, the determination of the kinetic rate constants for dioxygen binding and dissociation by laser flash photolysis allowed the evaluation of the equilibrium rate. Together with three previous X-ray structures of iron complexes in the alpha alpha beta beta conformation, the structure of the cavity and the shape of the relaxed distal strap are also discussed with the consideration of the resolution of X-ray structures of two different free-base ligands in the alpha alpha beta beta conformation, with one bearing the ethyl malonate group and the second one bearing the malonic acid group. A third X-ray structure of the analogous ligand with the overhanging ethyl malonate group in the alpha beta alpha beta series allows a direct comparison of the distal strap in both geometries. This work reveals that the compound with the overhanging carboxylic acid group which cannot directly interact with the ferrous heme exhibits an increased dioxygen affinity by 2 orders of magnitude versus its ester precursor.