Hiking Boots

I'm having trouble finding a comfortable pair of hiking boots. I know this is a common dilemma, so it's possible that "comfortable hiking boots" is an oxymoron. I like the boots to cover my ankles. Hiking "shoes" are not sufficient for me. My old pair of boots was good, but something about them would always cause a blister on the bottom of my right heel. They also pulled my socks down, but not too bad. Blisters are bad, though, so I got some new boots. The new ones are fantastic in the foot area. They are waterproof and warm and have excellent tread. But they pull my socks down in a major way, and they are so stiff around the top that they leave red marks and bruises between my calf and my ankle. I have worn them several times and they don't seem to want to break in.