Credit facility expiration date.

No definition available.

Name:	gco_CreditFacilityExpirationDate
Namespace Prefix:	gco_
Data Type:	xbrli:gYearMonthItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

FILO tranche of indebtedness.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gco_FILOTrancheOfIndebtedness
Namespace Prefix:	gco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line of credit facility maximum borrowing capacity including first-in last-out tranche of indebtedness.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gco_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacityIncludingFILOTrancheOfIndebtedness
Namespace Prefix:	gco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
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

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

- Definition

Weighted average interest rate of debt outstanding.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Date the credit facility terminates, in CCYY-MM-DD format.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:dateItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Maximum borrowing capacity under the credit facility without consideration of any current restrictions on the amount that could be borrowed or the amounts currently outstanding under the facility.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(b),22(b))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120391452&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, after unamortized (discount) premium and debt issuance costs, of long-term debt. Includes, but not limited to, notes payable, bonds payable, debentures, mortgage loans and commercial paper. Excludes capital lease obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 470
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (b)(3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120520924&loc=SL6031897-161870

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(16))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=120400017&loc=d3e572229-122910

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
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+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=gco_GenescoUkLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=gco_GCOCanadaIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=us-gaap_LetterOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis=us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=gco_FacilityLetterMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis=gco_RevolvingCapitalFacilityMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=gco_SchuhLimitedMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

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Long-Term Debt - Additional Information (Details) $ in Millions	Oct. 09, 2020 GBP (£)	Jun. 05, 2020 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2020 GBP (£)	Oct. 31, 2020 CAD ($)	Feb. 01, 2020 USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying Amount			$ 32,850,000			$ 14,393,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount of credit facility		$ 332,500,000					$ 275,000,000.0
First-in, last-out (FILO) tranche of indebtedness		17,500,000
Aggregate principal amount of credit facility including FILO tranche of indebtedness		$ 350,000,000.0
Carrying Amount			$ 32,900,000
Bearing interest rate			4.31%	4.31%	4.31%
Credit facility, maturity date		Jan. 31, 2023
Revolving Credit Facility \| Genesco (U.K.) Limited
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying Amount			$ 14,400,000	£ 11,100,000
Revolving Credit Facility \| GCO Canada Inc
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying Amount			1,000,000.0		$ 1.3
Letter of Credit \| Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Carrying Amount			$ 9,700,000
Facility Letter \| Revolving Capital Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility expiration date	2023-10
Facility Letter \| Revolving Capital Facility \| Schuh
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Aggregate principal amount of credit facility \| £	£ 19,000,000
Facility Letter \| Revolving Capital Facility \| Schuh \| Base Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate	2.50%