LINEAR Athletic Apparel: Creating a Buzz Nationwide

Photography by @anjastollphoto
 

We had the privilege of sitting down with Chris and Casey Rullie, the team behind LINEAR, a veteran-owned athletic apparel brand built from necessity and driven by purpose. While Chris is the sole legal owner—preserving LINEAR’s 100% Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) status—Casey plays an equal role in shaping the company’s strategy and operations as the designated successor. At first glance, LINEAR might seem like just another name in the crowded world of performance wear, but a closer look reveals a brand that’s anything but ordinary.  

Chris Rullie’s background in Navy is the bedrock of the brand. After transitioning from military life into the world of corporate infrastructure, Chris found himself still living and breathing the grind—just in a different uniform. Physically, he never stopped pushing limits. When he and Casey settled in Boise, Chris naturally gravitated toward the Foothills for trail running, functional workouts, and high-intensity endurance training. But what didn’t keep up with him was the gear.
“I’d finish a long run or a training session, and I’d be dealing with chafing, ripped seams, or pockets that couldn’t even hold a phone,” Chris told us. “I needed something that worked as hard as I do.” 

And so, LINEAR was born. Two years ago, Chris began designing the brand from scratch, pulling from his own pain points to inform every detail. The flagship shorts—crafted with trail-tested features—speak volumes about the brand’s mission. We’re talking about double stitching in high-friction areas, a longer, more durable liner, and a strategic cell phone slot that doesn’t bounce or shift mid-stride. There’s even a discreet supplements pocket and a hidden key stash, each element shaped by real-life training needs.

“The problem with most athletic wear is it’s designed for aesthetics, not performance,” said Casey, who co-pilots the brand’s direction and business strategy. “Chris needed gear that could handle a weighted ruck up Table Rock and still hold up during deadlifts or box jumps.” 

The duo intentionally developed LINEAR for individuals who live in motion—military, first responders, law enforcement, firefighters, and everyday athletes who grind hard and don’t settle for mediocre. And the technical specs back it up: anti-microbial fabrics, anti-odor technology, abrasion resistance, anti-pilling, and reinforced stitching exactly where it counts. The LINEAR logo carries deep meaning. The two parallel lines symbolize unity—representing both the partnership he shares with Casey and the importance of always having a battle buddy for safety, a lesson rooted in his military background. They also serve as a reminder to stay on the right path, staying focused and committed no matter the obstacles. 

But what sets LINEAR apart isn’t just what it does—it’s why it exists. “There was a gap in the market,” Chris said. “I’m not trying to just make another pair of shorts. I’m building gear for people who can’t afford to have their equipment fail.” What added fuel to the fire was when Chris’s favorite athletic brand reached out—not once, but four times—to interview him about what could be improved in their products. Each time, he gave the same feedback: fix the liners. He emphasized how the fit, durability, and performance of the liners consistently failed athletes like him. Despite his input, nothing changed. That moment stuck with him. “If they’re not going to listen,” he said, “I’ll build it myself.” 

When we asked Chris if anything in the military had shaped his entrepreneurial spirit, he surprised us by tracing that drive back much further. “It started when I was a kid,” he said. As a young boy, he pedaled around his neighborhood running a small business he called Squeaky Cleaners, washing cars and bikes. By high school, he had written a paper on landscaping that led to launching his own lawn care business—one he grew and eventually sold just two years later. With a degree in entrepreneurship and business modeling under his belt, he was quickly poached into the world of corporate infrastructure. But despite a demanding day job, his work ethic hasn’t wavered. He’s up at 4 a.m. working on LINEAR, makes breakfast for his daughters by 7, clocks in for his corporate role, and circles back to the brand in the evening, often working until 11 p.m. “It doesn’t feel like work,” he told us. “It’s a passion—because I’m solving a real problem. This isn’t just a side hustle; it’s woven into who I am.” 

And so far, LINEAR is resonating. The brand has quietly built a dedicated following, many of whom found it through word-of-mouth in the tight-knit veteran and athletic communities. With more designs on the way and expansion plans on the horizon, it’s clear that Chris and Casey are building more than a brand—they’re building a movement.