Crazyone, I think I have average ankles -- not thin, but not especially thick. The ankle fit on these booties is actually a bit looser than it may appear in these photos, partly because of the photo angle, and also, I was wearing socks that I had folded down so they wouldn't show over top. In other words, the socks were taking up some space. But I still consider the ankle fit superb even though there is a bit of space, because I have to move in them after all. They follow the lines of my bones very smoothly without that flower pot gap.
I wear socks with my boots so tried them first with socks. I tried them later without socks (not that I will ever wear that way) and certainly didn't feel that they were rough. And today is another sticky day here, so if they were going to rub me the wrong way, you'd think they'd do it now. My feet must be super swollen in the heat. So I really do wonder if the fit was wrong in the ones you tried, or the pair was a dud.
Having met you in person, I would say that you have a much daintier frame than I do. We are close to the same height and maybe even weight, but my bones seem bigger overall. You have the prettiest wrists and ankles and collar bones (if it is not too weird to say so!) In contrast, my frame is actually a bit bigger than Angie's even though she is 2 inches taller than me.