Survival of the Fit Test: Heated Winter Boots

Columbia Women's Bugathermo ($325, columbia.com)

The claim: You'll experience up to eight hours of continual warmth on your next trip to the slopes.

The tester: Nichole D'Auria, associate art director

The bottom line: "My fingers, nose, and toes are always cold, so I jumped at the chance to try Columbia's new heated footwear while hiking Bear Mountain, in upstate New York. The boots have detachable pads that charge for about three hours the night before you wear them. Sure enough, on my trek the next day, I enjoyed about six hours of toasty toes. If you're a first-time hiker, the Bugathermos are a little hard to walk in because the ankle support is so high. The price is steep, but these boots are my must-haves for playing in the snow on any winter day."

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, January 2011.