There are essentially two types of cross country skis available to the individual, waxable and waxless. Another form of definition is that waxable skis are best suited for performance and waxless skis for convenience. It all depends on the desires of the skier . A ski that has been waxed well for the existing snow conditions will almost always outperform a waxless ski . On the other hand, a waxless ski will always outperform a poorly waxed ski . So if you are willing to spend the time to learn and experiment, the waxable skis are worth that extra effort.