I recently broke my ankle on both sides of my foot and now wear a small evo brace with New Balance shoes. The brace does a good job supporting my ankle but the straps from it eventually hurt my feet. I tried heavier socks between my feet and brace. Id never make it hiking very long before the blisters would show up. Im wondering if 8" boots tied closely around my ankle would be enough support my ankle without the brace while hiking. Anyone have success with this? Thanks.