Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2016	May. 02, 2015
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Pension liability adjustment, tax amount	$ 0.1	$ 0.5
Postretirement liability adjustment, tax benefit	$ 0.0	$ (0.3)

Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Pension Liability Adjustment, Tax Amount

No definition available.

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