Asset Impairment and Other Charges, Net of Gains

No definition available.

Name:	gco_AssetImpairmentandOtherChargesNetofGains
Namespace Prefix:	gco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of reportable business segments.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gco_NumberOfReportableBusinessSegments
Namespace Prefix:	gco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount after accumulated impairment loss of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6388280&loc=d3e13770-109266

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 45
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64834752&loc=SL49117168-202975

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_Goodwill
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of foreign currency translation gain (loss) which increases (decreases) an asset representing future economic benefits from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillForeignCurrencyTranslationGainLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of increase (decrease) of an asset representing future economic benefits arising from other assets acquired in a business combination that are not individually identified and separately recognized.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 350
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35741047&loc=d3e13816-109267

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GoodwillPeriodIncreaseDecrease
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Long-lived assets other than financial instruments, long-term customer relationships of a financial institution, mortgage and other servicing rights, deferred policy acquisition costs, and deferred tax assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 41
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=68060357&loc=d3e9038-108599

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NoncurrentAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SegmentReportingInformationLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=gco_RetailStoreAssetImpairmentsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=gco_PensionSettlementExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=gco_OtherLegalMattersMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=gco_ComputerNetworkIntrusionMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gco_LidsSportsGroupSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestructuringCostAndReserveAxis=us-gaap_ContractTerminationMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gco_SchuhGroupSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gco_LicensedBrandsSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gco_JourneysGroupSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=gco_JohnstonMurphyGroupSegmentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis=us-gaap_CorporateAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_GB
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis=country_CA
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Business Segment Information - Textual (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 28, 2017 USD ($) segment	Jan. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of reportable business segments \| segment	5
Asset impairments and other, net	$ (802)	$ 7,893	$ 2,281
Goodwill	271,222	281,385
Long-lived assets	330,600	323,300	305,800
Retail Store Asset Impairments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	6,400	3,100	1,900
Pension Settlement Expense
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	2,500
Other Legal Matters
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	(700)	100	700
Computer Network Intrusion
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	(8,900)	2,200	3,100
Lids Sports Group
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill	181,600	180,900	200,100
Goodwill period adjustments, increase (decrease)		19,200	17,700
Goodwill, translation adjustments	700
Lids Sports Group \| Retail Store Asset Impairments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	5,100	2,700	1,700
Lids Sports Group \| Lease Termination
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net			(3,400)
Schuh Group
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill	79,800	90,300	96,000
Goodwill, translation adjustments	(10,500)	(5,700)	8,900
Schuh Group \| Retail Store Asset Impairments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	800	400
Licensed Brands
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill		800	800
Goodwill, translation adjustments	(800)
Journeys Group
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Goodwill	9,800	9,400
Goodwill, translation adjustments	400
Journeys Group \| Retail Store Asset Impairments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	500
Johnston & Murphy Group Segment \| Retail Store Asset Impairments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net			200
Corporate & Other \| Pension Settlement Expense
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	2,500
Corporate & Other \| Other Legal Matters
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	(700)	100	700
Corporate & Other \| Computer Network Intrusion
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Asset impairments and other, net	(8,900)	2,200	3,100
United Kingdom
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	54,300	64,700	63,900
Canada
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$ 21,000	$ 18,300	$ 14,600