Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Classes of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities Measured and Recorded at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail)

v2.4.1.9
Classes of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities Measured and Recorded at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail) (USD $)
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Apr. 04, 2015
Jan. 03, 2015
Mar. 29, 2014
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]      
Cash equivalents, Money market funds $ 231,617vfc_CashEquivalentsMoneyMarketFunds $ 388,635vfc_CashEquivalentsMoneyMarketFunds  
Cash equivalents, time deposits 144,304vfc_CashEquivalentsTimeDeposits 197,303vfc_CashEquivalentsTimeDeposits  
Derivative financial instruments 158,899us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset 105,264us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset 17,053us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
Investment securities 230,036us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure 228,406us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure  
Other marketable securities 5,606vfc_InvestmentSecuritiesOther 5,111vfc_InvestmentSecuritiesOther  
Derivative financial instruments 43,682us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability 31,769us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability 39,298us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability
Deferred compensation 296,034vfc_DeferredCompensationLiabilityAtFairValue 295,226vfc_DeferredCompensationLiabilityAtFairValue  
Quoted Prices In Active Markets For Identical Assets, Level 1      
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]      
Cash equivalents, Money market funds 231,617vfc_CashEquivalentsMoneyMarketFunds
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1] 388,635vfc_CashEquivalentsMoneyMarketFunds
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1]  
Cash equivalents, time deposits 144,304vfc_CashEquivalentsTimeDeposits
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1] 197,303vfc_CashEquivalentsTimeDeposits
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1]  
Investment securities 212,221us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1] 208,874us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1]  
Other marketable securities 5,606vfc_InvestmentSecuritiesOther
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1] 5,111vfc_InvestmentSecuritiesOther
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel1Member
[1]  
Significant Other Observable Inputs, Level 2      
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]      
Derivative financial instruments 158,899us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1] 105,264us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeAsset
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1]  
Investment securities 17,815us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1] 19,532us-gaap_InvestmentsFairValueDisclosure
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1]  
Derivative financial instruments 43,682us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1] 31,769us-gaap_DerivativeFairValueOfDerivativeLiability
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1]  
Deferred compensation $ 296,034vfc_DeferredCompensationLiabilityAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1] $ 295,226vfc_DeferredCompensationLiabilityAtFairValue
/ us-gaap_FairValueByFairValueHierarchyLevelAxis
= us-gaap_FairValueInputsLevel2Member
[1]  
[1] There were no transfers among the levels within the fair value hierarchy during the first quarter of 2015 or the year ended December 2014.