| Derivative Financial Instruments and Hedging Activities (Tables)
 | 9 Months Ended | 
      
        | Sep. 28, 2013 | 
      
        | Outstanding Derivatives on Individual Contract Basis at Gross Amounts | 
 
 The following table presents outstanding derivatives on an
 individual contract basis: 
   
 
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 |  |  | Fair Value of Derivatives with Unrealized Gains
 |  |  | Fair Value of Derivatives with Unrealized Losses
 |  |  
 | In thousands |  | September 2013
 |  |  | December 2012
 |  |  | September 2012
 |  |  | September 2013
 |  |  | December 2012
 |  |  | September 2012
 |  |  
 | 
 Foreign exchange contracts designated as hedging instruments |  | $ | 12,685 |  |  | $ | 15,847 |  |  | $ | 26,664 |  |  | $ | (37,376 | ) |  | $ | (27,267 | ) |  | $ | (22,910 | ) |  
 | 
 Foreign exchange contracts dedesignated as hedging instruments |  |  | — |  |  |  | 15 |  |  |  | 64 |  |  |  | — |  |  |  | (2,160 | ) |  |  | (4,976 | ) |  
 | 
 Foreign exchange contracts not designated as hedging
 instruments |  |  | 47 |  |  |  | 291 |  |  |  | 115 |  |  |  | (315 | ) |  |  | (41 | ) |  |  | (569 | ) |  
 |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  
 | 
 Total derivatives |  | $ | 12,732 |  |  | $ | 16,153 |  |  | $ | 26,843 |  |  | $ | (37,691 | ) |  | $ | (29,468 | ) |  | $ | (28,455 | ) |  
 |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  | 
      
        | Derivative Assets and Liabilities Presented in Consolidated Balance Sheet Adjusted from Current Gross | 
 
 VF records and presents the fair values of all of its derivative
 assets and liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets on a
 gross basis, even though they are subject to master netting
 agreements. However, if VF were to offset and record the asset and
 liability balances of all of its forward foreign currency exchange
 contracts on a net basis in accordance with the terms of its master
 netting agreements, the amounts presented in the Consolidated
 Balance Sheets as of September 2013, December 2012 and
 September 2012 would be adjusted from the current gross
 presentation as detailed in the following table: 
   
 
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 |  |  | September 2013 |  |  | December 2012 |  |  | September 2012 |  |  
 | In thousands |  | Derivative Asset
 |  |  | Derivative Liability
 |  |  | Derivative Asset
 |  |  | Derivative Liability
 |  |  | Derivative Asset
 |  |  | Derivative Liability
 |  |  
 | 
 Gross amounts presented in the Consolidated Balance Sheets |  | $ | 12,732 |  |  | $ | (37,691 | ) |  | $ | 16,153 |  |  | $ | (29,468 | ) |  | $ | 26,843 |  |  | $ | (28,455 | ) |  
 | 
 Gross amounts not offset in the Consolidated Balance Sheets |  |  | (10,497 | ) |  |  | 10,497 |  |  |  | (5,225 | ) |  |  | 5,225 |  |  |  | (4,760 | ) |  |  | 4,760 |  |  
 |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  
 | 
 Net amount |  | $ | 2,235 |  |  | $ | (27,194 | ) |  | $ | 10,928 |  |  | $ | (24,243 | ) |  | $ | 22,083 |  |  | $ | (23,695 | ) |  
 |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  | 
      
        | Derivatives Classified as Current or Noncurrent Based on Maturity Dates | 
 
 Derivatives are classified as current or noncurrent based on their
 maturity dates, as follows: 
   
 
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 | In thousands |  | September 2013
 |  |  | December 2012
 |  |  | September 2012
 |  |  
 | 
 Other current assets |  | $ | 12,257 |  |  | $ | 13,629 |  |  | $ | 23,648 |  |  
 | 
 Accrued liabilities (current) |  |  | (28,743 | ) |  |  | (22,013 | ) |  |  | (22,766 | ) |  
 | 
 Other assets (noncurrent) |  |  | 475 |  |  |  | 2,524 |  |  |  | 3,195 |  |  
 | 
 Other liabilities (noncurrent) |  |  | (8,948 | ) |  |  | (7,455 | ) |  |  | (5,689 | ) |  | 
      
        | Effects of Cash Flow Hedging included in Consolidated Statements of Income and Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income | 
 
 The effects of cash flow hedging included in VF’s
 Consolidated Statements of Income and Consolidated Statements of
 Comprehensive Income are summarized as follows: 
   
 
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 | In thousands |  | Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in OCI
 Three Months Ended September
 |  |  | Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in OCI
 Nine Months Ended September
 |  |  
 | 
 Cash Flow Hedging Relationships |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |  |  
 | 
 Foreign exchange |  | $ | (54,432 | ) |  | $ | (15,829 | ) |  | $ | (2,032 | ) |  | $ | 2,846 |  |  
   
 
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 | In thousands |  | Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income
 Three Months Ended September
 |  |  | Gain (Loss) Reclassified from Accumulated OCI into Income
 Nine Months Ended September
 |  |  
 | 
 Location of Gain (Loss) |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |  |  
 | 
 Net sales |  | $ | 6,195 |  |  | $ | (2,150 | ) |  | $ | 7,418 |  |  | $ | (3,931 | ) |  
 | 
 Cost of goods sold |  |  | 3,574 |  |  |  | 9,694 |  |  |  | 11,115 |  |  |  | 10,291 |  |  
 | 
 Other income (expense), net |  |  | (2,218 | ) |  |  | 1,890 |  |  |  | 83 |  |  |  | 1,777 |  |  
 | 
 Interest expense |  |  | (980 | ) |  |  | (934 | ) |  |  | (2,909 | ) |  |  | (2,772 | ) |  
 |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  
 | 
 Total |  | $ | 6,571 |  |  | $ | 8,500 |  |  | $ | 15,707 |  |  | $ | 5,365 |  |  
 |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  |   |   |  |  | 
      
        | Effects of Fair Value Hedging Included in Consolidated Statements of Income | 
 
 Following is a summary of these hedges included in VF’s
 Consolidated Statements of Income: 
   
 
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  
 | In thousands |  | Location of Gain (Loss) on Derivatives
 Recognized in Income
 |  |  | Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Income
 Three Months Ended September
 |  |  | Gain (Loss) on Derivatives Recognized in Income
 Nine Months Ended September
 |  |  
 | 
 Derivatives Not Designated as Hedges |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |  |  | 2013 |  |  | 2012 |  |  
 | 
 Foreign exchange |  |  | Other income (expense), net |  |  | $ | (6,402 | ) |  | $ | (2,253 | ) |  | $ | (2,404 | ) |  | $ | (877 | ) |  |