I don't use a mousepad. I just have a cheap HP optical mouse, but it rarely if ever skips on our laminate wood desk. The only problem I can see is that it wears off the finish on the desk, but it's a seven year old desk, it's literally falling apart, and there are dings, scratches and worn away spots all over it. I don't care.
I have two screens so even with the mouse tracking at the highest speed, to get from one screen to the other I'd run off a mouse pad. Also they get in the way and make my desk look less tidy
When I use my wireless Mighty Mouse, I always use a mousepad. This is the mousepad I use (the red one). When I'm not using the Mighty Mouse, I use my MacBook's trackpad.