Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Impairment charge of long-lived assets $ 73,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse $ 8,995,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse $ 1,653,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
Inventory planning, receiving and handling costs 59,561,000colm_InventoryPlanningReceivingAndHandlingCosts 56,891,000colm_InventoryPlanningReceivingAndHandlingCosts 59,212,000colm_InventoryPlanningReceivingAndHandlingCosts
Advertising costs 110,109,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense 78,095,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense 76,714,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Cooperative Advertising Expense $ 8,056,000us-gaap_CooperativeAdvertisingExpense $ 6,032,000us-gaap_CooperativeAdvertisingExpense $ 7,851,000us-gaap_CooperativeAdvertisingExpense
Minimum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Delivery time by geographic location (in days) 1colm_DeliveryTimeByGeographicLocation
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		   
Maximum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Delivery time by geographic location (in days) 5colm_DeliveryTimeByGeographicLocation
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		   
Building and Building Improvements [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 15 years    
Building and Building Improvements [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 30 years    
Land Improvements [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 15 years    
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 3 years    
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 10 years    
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 3 years    
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 10 years    
Leasehold Improvements [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 7 years    
Software and Software Development Costs [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 3 years    
Software and Software Development Costs [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]      
Property, plant and equipment, useful life minimum (years) 10 years