Merrell Women's Yokota 2 Hiking Shoes

Currently I own several pairs of Merrills shoes. My favorites are Yokota style walking/trail shoes. I own 2 pairs. However, I've ordered and returned two pairs as well because the sizing and quality control is a bit sketchy. The first pair now wear (dark brown) fit like size 9s though they are labeled as 9.5s (which I ordered). They are small, but with the right socks they fit well. The second pair (light brown) fit beautifully right out of the box (ordered size 9.5 got size 9.5). They are my go to shoes for daily fitness/trail walking. I just ordered and returned the oxide red Yokota shoes. The left shoe was good. The right shoe had a defect in the way the loops (the laces go through) were installed. They just didn't line up, which made the shoe fit a little bit off...causing my foot to twist inside the shoe when I tightened the laces (causing my ankle to turn inward). When walking over uneven, dirt trails my feet need to be stable inside the shoes I wear or my hips, knees, and ankles become painful. I like the Yokota shoes I have (that fit properly)...and hope Merrills gets their quality control problems straightened out because I'd like another pair to rotate with those I now wear.