v3.5.0.2

Stock-based Compensation (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jul. 30, 2016	Apr. 30, 2016	Aug. 01, 2015	Jul. 30, 2016	Aug. 01, 2015
DSW Stock-Based Compensation Plans [Abstract]
Number of shares authorized (in shares)	8,500			8,500
Annual vesting percentage (in hundredths)				20.00%
Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense				$ 7,316	$ 7,655
Employee Stock Option [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized	$ 14,781			$ 14,781
Stock Option Activity [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)		3,849		3,849
Granted				835
Exercised				(37)
Forfeited				(251)
Outstanding, end of period (in shares)	4,396			4,396
Exercisable, end of period (in shares)	2,388			2,388
Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense				$ 3,224	$ 3,626
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Fair Value Assumptions and Methodology [Abstract]
Risk-free interest rate				1.50%	1.40%
Expected volatility of DSW Inc. Common Shares				36.00%	37.90%
Expected option term				5 years 5 months 1 day	5 years 1 month 4 days
Dividend yield				3.00%	2.10%
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per share)				$ 6.59	$ 10.22
Equity instruments other than options [Roll forward]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition				2 years 2 months
Stock Options [Member]
Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense	$ 300	$ 300	$ 1,900		$ 1,600
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Not yet Recognized, Share-based Awards Other than Options	$ 8,201			$ 8,201
Stock Option Activity [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)		372		372
Granted				181
Exercised				(83)
Forfeited				(51)
Outstanding, end of period (in shares)	419			419
Exercisable, end of period (in shares)	0			0
Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense				$ 1,870	1,401
Equity instruments other than options [Roll forward]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition				2 years
Performance Shares [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Not yet Recognized, Share-based Awards Other than Options	$ 4,952			$ 4,952
Stock Option Activity [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)		293		293
Granted				112
Exercised				(133)
Forfeited				(27)
Outstanding, end of period (in shares)	245			245
Exercisable, end of period (in shares)	0			0
Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense				$ 1,232	1,702
Equity instruments other than options [Roll forward]
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition				2 years 1 month
Director Stock Units [Member]
Stock Option Activity [Roll Forward]
Outstanding, beginning of period (in shares)		305		305
Granted				52
Exercised				(58)
Forfeited				0
Outstanding, end of period (in shares)	299			299
Exercisable, end of period (in shares)	0			0
Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Share-based compensation expense				$ 990	$ 926

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- Definition

Represents the expense recognized during the period arising from equity-based compensation arrangements (for example, shares of stock, unit, stock options or other equity instruments) with employees, directors and certain consultants qualifying for treatment as employees.

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Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

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Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized for equity-based compensation plans, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based awards, other than options, awarded to employees as compensation.

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The estimated dividend rate (a percentage of the share price) to be paid (expected dividends) to holders of the underlying shares over the option's term.

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The estimated measure of the percentage by which a share price is expected to fluctuate during a period. Volatility also may be defined as a probability-weighted measure of the dispersion of returns about the mean. The volatility of a share price is the standard deviation of the continuously compounded rates of return on the share over a specified period. That is the same as the standard deviation of the differences in the natural logarithms of the stock prices plus dividends, if any, over the period.

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The risk-free interest rate assumption that is used in valuing an option on its own shares.

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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.

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The maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) originally approved (usually by shareholders and board of directors), net of any subsequent amendments and adjustments, for awards under the equity-based compensation plan. As stock or unit options and equity instruments other than options are awarded to participants, the shares or units remain authorized and become reserved for issuance under outstanding awards (not necessarily vested).

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The number of shares into which fully or partially vested stock options outstanding as of the balance sheet date can be currently converted under the option plan.

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The number of shares under options that were cancelled during the reporting period as a result of occurrence of a terminating event specified in contractual agreements pertaining to the stock option plan.

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Net number of share options (or share units) granted during the period.

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The weighted average grant-date fair value of options granted during the reporting period as calculated by applying the disclosed option pricing methodology.

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Number of options outstanding, including both vested and non-vested options.

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Percentage of vesting of share-based compensation awards.

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Expected term of share-based compensation awards, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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Number of share options (or share units) exercised during the current period.

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