Ten thousand pairs of sandals, a Grand Opening today at noon, and a chance at Crocs for a year — here’s what North Myrtle Beach residents need to know about Cherry Grove’s newest destination.
A New Anchor in an Old Beach Town
For North Myrtle Beach residents, the Boulineau name is shorthand for Cherry Grove itself. So when the family adds a new business, it’s worth paying attention. Today, May 19, 2026, at noon, the Boulineau family officially celebrates the Grand Opening of Sandal Land Shoe Store, billed as the largest sandal store on the Grand Strand with more than 10,000 pairs in stock [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026].
For a community that lives in flip-flops half the year, that’s not just a retail headline — it’s a practical convenience. And it’s the latest chapter in a family business story that has been quietly shaping Cherry Grove for nearly eight decades.
What’s Actually Inside the Store
According to the official Sandal Land page, the store carries a long lineup of recognizable footwear brands, including Hey Dude, OOFOS, OluKai, Teva, Birkenstock, Rainbow, Sanuk, Reef, Skechers, NUU SOL, Frogg Toggs, and Archies [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026]. Regional retail coverage adds that the store’s selection also includes orthotic options alongside casual everyday footwear [Retail Media IQ, 2026].
The brand mix matters. OOFOS and Archies sit at the recovery and orthotic end of the spectrum, OluKai and Birkenstock anchor the premium category, and Rainbow, Sanuk, and Reef cover the workhorse beach sandals locals actually live in. For a coastal town where residents and visitors alike wear sandals as everyday footwear, the depth of inventory is the point.
Posted hours on the official page show Sunday through Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026]. Hours for Tuesday through Thursday weren’t listed at the time of publication, so residents planning a midweek trip should call ahead.
The Grand Opening: Today’s Lineup
Today’s Grand Opening at noon is being treated as a full community event. According to Boulineau’s, the store will host giveaways, snacks, and refreshments, with prizes from partner brands including Birkenstock, OluKai, Aydrys, Sanuk, Rainbow, and Fahlo [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026]. The headline prize: five lucky winners will receive Crocs for a year [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026].
The store is also offering oversized Rainbow sandals as part of the celebration — a callback to the brand that has been a staple of Grand Strand beachwear for decades [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026]. For families looking for a low-stress Memorial Day-week outing that doesn’t involve fighting Bike Fest traffic on Highway 17, this is a quieter alternative tucked into the Cherry Grove side of town.
How Sandal Land Fits Into the Boulineau Family Story
Understanding why a sandal store opening matters in Cherry Grove requires understanding the Boulineau family’s reach. According to the company’s own history page, Boulineau’s began in 1948 when Frank and Louise Boulineau opened a small grocery store in Cherry Grove Beach, at a time when the area had fewer than 100 houses [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026]. Hurricane Hazel destroyed the original store in 1954, but the family rebuilt and kept expanding [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026; Visit Myrtle Beach, 2024].
Today, the Boulineau family of businesses spans more than 200,000 square feet along Sea Mountain Highway, including Boulineau’s IGA, Boulineau’s Ace Hardware, Platt’s Seafood, Boulineau’s Express, the Shell gas station and car wash, the Barnacle beach shop, the Dairy Hut, the Cherry Grove Creamery, and now Sandal Land [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026]. The local tourism site Explore North Myrtle Beach describes Boulineau’s as “the heartbeat of Cherry Grove,” reflecting more than 60 years of family ownership and community presence [Explore North Myrtle Beach, 2026].
The Boulineau approach has always been adjacency — clustering businesses that capture every part of beach-town life, from groceries to gas to gifts. Sandal Land slots into that strategy by absorbing a category that other Boulineau properties (like the Barnacle Beach Shoppe and Ocean Treasures) only partially handled. According to regional reporting, the store underwent significant renovations before opening, including a fresh interior, the family’s signature red roofing, and a planned exterior mural [Retail Media IQ, 2026].
What This Means for Local Residents
For North Myrtle Beach residents, Sandal Land brings a few practical advantages worth noting:
Inventory on demand. A 10,000-pair in-stock claim means residents don’t have to order online and wait for shipping when their everyday flip-flops finally give out [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026]. For a beach town, that’s genuinely useful.
Local ownership. Unlike a national chain dropping into a strip mall, Sandal Land is part of a family business that has weathered hurricanes, decades of coastal change, and the constant pressure of Grand Strand tourism economics. Money spent there stays in Cherry Grove.
Bundled errands. Because Sandal Land sits alongside the IGA, the hardware store, the seafood market, and the gas station, residents can knock out a week’s worth of errands without crossing Highway 17. For anyone who has tried navigating North Myrtle Beach traffic during peak tourist season, that matters.
Tourist competition for parking. The flip side: Cherry Grove parking gets tighter every year, and a new high-traffic retail destination will likely add to weekend congestion. Locals planning quick stops may want to time visits early in the morning or later in the evening, especially during summer.
A Quiet Win for Cherry Grove
Sandal Land’s opening doesn’t carry the drama of a city council fight or a public safety crisis. It’s something simpler and, in some ways, more reflective of what makes Cherry Grove distinctive: a family business choosing to invest in its own town rather than sell out or scale down. Located just two blocks from the beach, it’s the kind of store designed to last because the family behind it has already lasted 78 years [Boulineau’s IGA, 2026].
For residents thinking about whether to stop by today, the math is straightforward — free snacks, brand giveaways, five Crocs-for-a-year winners, and an excuse to support a family that has been part of Cherry Grove longer than most North Myrtle Beach residents have lived here. That’s not a bad way to spend a Tuesday afternoon.
Further Reading
- Sandal Land Shoe Store — Official Page (Boulineau’s IGA, 2026): boulineaus.com
- Boulineau’s Family History (Boulineau’s IGA, 2026): boulineaus.com/about
- Explore Boulineau’s in North Myrtle Beach (Explore North Myrtle Beach, 2026): explorenorthmyrtlebeach.com
- Sandal Land Coverage (Retail Media IQ, April 2026): rmiq.net
- Boulineau’s: The Heartbeat of Cherry Grove (MyHorryNews): myhorrynews.com
- A History Buff’s Guide to North Myrtle Beach (Visit Myrtle Beach, 2024): visitmyrtlebeach.com
