This study aims to unpack foundational colour design practices to discuss how colour designers leverage colour as a visual storytelling device. Analysing how colour designers use colour might open up more significant opportunities for cross-disciplinary research between designers and the disciplines of colour psychology, chemistry, and art while enabling more experimentation surrounding studying colour preference in context. This study focuses on the practices of Colour Designers in the athletic footwear industry, specifically the processes of visual storytelling on sneakers using colour. Knowledge of what a colour designer in the athletic footwear industry does and how designers use colour as a visual storytelling device is primarily learned and held by those practising colour design, creating a gap in aspects of the design process in academia. While there is a lack of academic research, there is a wealth of qualitative data shared within sneaker culture surrounding the significance of colour in sneaker design and the impact of colour on sneaker culture, potentially making them a fitting artefact to discuss how colour designers leverage colour in visual storytelling. This study utilises the lead author's ten years of experience as a practising colour designer working with brands such as Nike to expose the potential colour design practices used in creating the AJ1 through autoethnographic writing and design artefact creation. These aim to shine the light on foundational colour design practices to create a window into the colour design process. The results of this study suggest an intentional relationship between designers, the sneaker industry and colour as a visual communication tool. Through creating design artefacts, including blocking exercises and an extracted colour palette, the lead author illustrates the influences on the colour design process that help define aesthetically pleasing blocks and how designers use blocking and colour to create cohesive visual storytelling.