Fitting old "hot toys" 'beets' to newer boddy

I find myself faced with the need to attach old hot toys boot-feet to a newer version body. (vasquez boots to "alice" RE body)

Im about to cut off the balls and drill an appropriate female hole in the shin piece to make it work. Figured I would I give it 24 hrs before I start chopping. Anyone with better advice? Seems pretty clear cut to me, but I get a shaky hand around hacking ~$300 items...

I did something very similar just over a month ago (wanted to add a pair of sheva boots which uses the "sticks" onto an apexplorers fire&ice body which used the pegs)

Theres no real easy way to go around it other than you said. Its not a pretty job but its the only way. I couldnt drill the hole to the correct size in the leg for the boots i was using to be able to fit inside and stay on and then pull them back out. But as i decided it was going to be the figures permanent look i added a dot of glue to the sticks so once they went up into the shins they stayed there