I recently discovered a brand of affordable shoes called White Mountain. You may have heard of them, but they were new to me when an alert reader called them to my attention and even sent me a couple pairs to test drive. What better way to butter up a gal than to send her free shoes, right?

All jokes aside, I was really impressed with the quality and pricepoints this brand has to offer. Not all the styles suit my taste - some are a tad old lady - but many are seriously cute, like this pair of White Mountain leather slingbacks (above). They have a cut-out design with top-stitching on the toe that gives them a Southwest flair, which happens to be pretty popular right now (think of all the fringed shoes and bags you've been seeing lately, the return of the moccassin, and the resurgence of feathers).

To top it off, the cushy footbed is amazingly comfortable, as is the soft pliable leather. They have a short heel, which gives you some height, but they're still easy to walk in (they passed the dog walking test - not the dog run, but the morning jaunt). The best part is the color: The nude leather almost matches my skintone (I am paler, I know), so when I wear these with shorts or a skirt, the overall effect is leg-lengthening. Oh, and the price ain't too shabby either, they're just $54.25 at QVC.com.

Here are just a few more cute styles from White Mountain:

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  White Mountain "Natasha" Bronze Gladiator at Piperlime.com, Was $45 Now $19.99
  


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  White Mountain Patent Flats at QVC.com, $36.50
  


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  White Mountain "Selma" Wedge Slide at Macys.com, Was $39.99 Now $20.99